The Cute Pirate
by Pugslover
Summary: What does the term 'pirate' bring to mind? Well, let's go on a little adventure back many, many years ago. Who on Earth would be able to calm the rage of the furious and intimidating Pirate Captain of the mighty Teikou pirate crew, Akashi Seijuro? Let's see! Rating changed to T cause I don't want to get in trouble.
1. Chapter 1

Well, this came to me like, just a few seconds ago…I know that I said that I was going to wait until AFTER I had finished my first story, Sweet and Subtle, to make up those MidoKuro stories and I DEFINITELY WILL, but it seems like I just can't give this up! Well, anyways, onto the new story!

Kuroko Tetsuya- Kuroko Tetsuki

Kuroko is a female in this story and looks the same as in my other story. Petite for her age, pale skin, light blue hair and eyes and her hair stops just above her butt. Her main outfit for this story will be a light blue tank-top, a white long sleeve shirt over the tank-top with a light blue bandana on her head. She'll have a pair of white pants for at night and white shorts during the day due to the temperature changes. She'll also mainly wear white knee-length boots with her shorts and white sandals, not flip-flops, during the night. Both the boots and sandals will have a bit of a heel since they are shoes for girls. (If anyone wants to draw her for me and send me the link, then I'll put it as this stories picture…if not, well, we'll just have to wait and see.)

I don't really know if I'll have any pairing for this sto- GASP! I JUST THOUGHT OF THE PAIRING FOR THIS STORY!

The pairing for this story will be Akashi x FemKuroko! Most likely Akashi and Kuroko and everybody else will experience some sort of OOCness…just saying.

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KUROKO NO BASUKE.**

Chapter 1: Prologue

Many, many years ago- no, not in a land far, far away and not in a different universe. A-HEM. Many, many years ago, there was a sudden outburst that took the entire world-A.K.A. planet Earth- by storm! People thought them to be extinct, nonexistent, fairytales even. But in that moment, in that era, those people were proven wrong. _They_ do indeed exist. And it was precisely because _they_ existed and were forgotten about, that someone's descendant decided to remind the world that people like _them_ exist.

_Pirates._

Nobody could have seen it coming. Like I said, this sudden outburst of pirates took the world by storm. Now what do you think of when you hear the term **pirates**?

No, not the **word** pirates, but the **term**. People quickly started referring to people that sail ships with cross-bones on black flags as such. 'Pirates' used to be just a word, but now that they have come back into existence, they are making sure that everybody on Earth knows that they are real and not just imaginary, made-up beings that used to taunt the minds of many.

One pirate crew in particular was feared by all the rest. If you haven't guessed by now, then let me tell you. That fear inspiring pirate crew was none other than Teikou. People from all different parts of the world knew of it. The most distinguishing feature of this pirate crew was its mother ship which had a multicolored cross-bones flag. The colors that it sported were a bright yellow; a deep, dark blue; a dark green; a bright pink; a dark purple and an extremely vibrant red.

Nobody _dared_ to go against them. However, there was one and only one pirate crew that came out of hiding, more than willing to go against the mighty Teikou. That brave crew was of the name Seirin. While Teikou was formed once again by the last existing pirates' descendant, Akashi Seijuro, Seirin was only formed about three years after Teikou made itself known.

However, do not underestimate them. While the Seirin crew seems harmless, all of the other pirate crews that ever went against them were never heard from again. Those crew members always ended up reappearing on some random uninhabited island and they considered that they were shown mercy by Seirin, which they were. They just had it beat into them that they should never ever mention anything of their fight and encounter with the little known crew, unless they wish to see the bottom of the sea personally.

But before we can get to the discovery of the century, let's just follow them around on one of their ordinary-turned-not-so-ordinary days.

…..

PLEASE DON'T HIT ME! Seriously, I haven't forgotten the whole MidoKuro fanfics that I have in mind and neither have I forgotten Sweet and Subtle, just wanna write this story! Hope you guys liked the first chapter! **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all who read/reviewed/favorited/followed my second fanfiction! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter!

Also, since this pairing will be Akashi x FemKuroko, I might as well tell you what Akashi is gonna look like.

Akashi Seijuro

About only an inch or two taller than Tetsuki with a shade darker skin than hers for his skin color. He has the same vibrant red and the length of his hair is the length that Kuroko in the anime has…or the hair that he had before he cut it. He wears a black eyepatch over his left eye, which is the gold eye. He wears a black long sleeved dress shirt at night as well as long black pants with black knee-length boots. During the day he wears a black short sleeved shirt and black shorts but still with the same knee-length boots. He wears a red scarf thing around his waist that reaches his knee on the left side.

Also, before I forget, Akashi and Kuroko are 16 in this fic along with the rest of the GoM and Momoi, while the senpais of Seirin are 17. Kagami and the freshman trio are 16.

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 2: A Not So Ordinary Day

The sky was blue, but not as blue as a certain female member of the little known Seirin pirate crew. With eyes as blue as her hair and skin that could make a white cloud jealous, not to mention her petite stature, one would say that she is the epitome of perfection itself. That is, she _would_ be if not for her facial, or rather, nonexistent facial features. It's not like she has horrendous scars covering her pale skin, it's just that she has a habit of not showing any emotion on her face. The most emotion anyone would ever be able to get out of her would be a slight, _very, very_ slight upturn of the corners of her mouth. Nobody ever really had the honor of seeing her extremely rare smiles, but the members of her crew got to see it numerous times. Let's just say that they doubt they will ever meet such a cute pirate like her again.

Anyways, now is not yet the time for you to meet her crew-mates. She was taking a walk in a port town that they had just stopped by. By her side, or to be more specific, by her feet, one could see an equally adorable puppy husky. When the two had first met, it was just at a different port town after a major storm had made them dock. When everyone saw how similar their eyes looked, everybody immediately decided to name him, the puppy, Nigou. Kuroko Tetsuki did not have a say. But, she didn't mind. It was just another of her crew-mates antics.

This time, they had stopped at a port town in order to resupply on things like fresh water, salt to keep their meat fresh as well as different fruits and vegetables to make sure that they didn't get scurvy. Then again, one time they had gotten something worse than scurvy- food poisoning from their ships' second mates' strange cooking. She had said that it was a surprise- they were surprised alright, but their stomachs more so. Nobody had been able to stay away from their ships' toilet for more than twenty minutes for a week after that.

While one part of their crew was fetching the necessary food and water supplies and putting them away in the ships' kitchen area, another part was going after supplies for ammunition- things like cannons, bullets, a couple of swords here and there, rope, grappling hooks, some guns, things of that sort. The rest of them were going to get things like nails, wood, hammers, saws in order to repair the ship, should the need arise. And that need _had_ risen multiple times because of their multiple and unwanted encounters with other no-name pirate ships.

Kuroko was allowed to look around to see if there was a place where they could stay for the night and also get an included meal or two. After all, everybody originally came from the land, so it's no surprise that they sometimes felt homesick, or land-sick, whichever floats your boat.

Kuroko was in her usual attire- white sandals, white shorts, a white button up short sleeved shirt which currently only had the three middle buttons buttoned, a light blue tank-top underneath the white shirt. Her light blue bandana that was usually on her head was tied around her right wrist and her usually free light blue hair was up in a high pony tail, being held in place by a small white gold ring that had a light blue butterfly painted on it. There were two small but very beautiful sapphires, acting as the painted butterfly's eyes.

Her dog, Nigou, was wearing a light blue bandana around his neck along with a barrel of water that had some sort of straw sticking out of it- an invention of one of her crew-mates design.

Walking in the shade provided by the tall buildings, Kuroko made her way towards one of the inns that some townsfolk had recommended to her. Opening the door to it, she glanced around the room. It was a dining area and farther back was a bar area. It looked simple enough. It also didn't look super expensive. Making her way to the bar area with her light blue bangs swaying slightly in front of her eyes, she noticed that the people in the room seemed to have their eyes on her.

Looking again, she saw that they were seeing someone _behind_ her. Turning around, she quickly turned again and walked quickly but quietly to a seat in a corner. Who would have thought it? The famous Teikou pirate crew was right behind her! Her dog had faithfully followed her and pawed at her left leg. Knowing what it is he wanted, she lowered the bag that she had looped around her neck and shoulder, allowing Nigou to step into the bag so that at a moment's notice if need be Kuroko could escape without having to worry about leaving Nigou behind.

The captain, Akashi Seijuro, had entered right behind her. The thing that was spooking Kuroko out is that she hadn't heard them enter behind her at all! On his left, Murasakibara Atsushi, their ships cook and guarder against poisons, was standing, munching on one of the many fruits Kuroko had seen being sold in the market earlier. On his right, Midorima Shintaro, the crews perfect cannon shooter, was standing, holding a…teddy bear with a princess crown on its' head in his left hand. Behind Akashi was standing Aomine Daiki, yawning and muttering something about wanting to sleep. He was known for being the best sword fighter ever. Beside Aomine was their crews spy, Momoi Satsuki. Akashi Seijuro himself is known for never keeping captives alive, especially if they get on his bad side, and every single one of them has. Then again, it seems as though Teikou only goes after people who decide to terrorize innocent people in the name of being a great pirate. To Akashi, they are nothing more than mere pieces of dirt trying to tarnish the wonderful legends of pirates that he had learned about when he was only six years old.

After finding out about his ancestry, he started focusing on the sea, navigation, the weather, foods to bring on sea voyages and much more. He also got his friends to be his shipmates. They did it willingly.

Feeling her heartbeat slow, Kuroko took a deep breath before she stood up and slowly made her way towards the entrance and exit of the inn that she had stepped foot in. Hoping to not be noticed, her wish was not granted. Well, at least she wasn't noticed by the Teikou team, or that's what she thought.

"Yo little girly girl thar. Where d'ya tink ya goin? Ya know, ve run dis place 'ere. Ya need ta pay up or else…," a random brute of a stranger with a very thick accent from who knows where called out to her.

Doubting that it was her they had spoken to, she continued on her way undeterred. That is until she felt herself get pushed out the door and onto the dirt road outside the inn. Reacting quickly, she made sure that Nigou didn't get hurt one bit and she only got a little scrape on her left knee. Wondering what it was that had left her being so unable to sense things like usual, she immediately knew the answer. To think that just the very _sight_ of the Teikou main crew is enough to immobilize her, she was wondering how on earth she could defend herself against their strong presence.

Pulling her mind from its thoughts, she quickly dodged another attack. Well, if you counted the first attack as her being roughly pushed out of an inn, then getting a sharp dagger thrown at her could definitely count. Figuring that she'd be able to lose them, Kuroko ran a little ways down the road, abruptly stopped and started running back towards the brute that had pushed and thrown a dagger at her. Taking his confusion to her advantage, she suddenly leapt up into the air, landed on his face and used that as a platform to jump off of and onto the inns' roof.

Relieved that she was on the rooftop, she immediately started running in the direction that everyone was supposed to meet up at. However, once again due to the strong presence of the Teikou main crew, she failed to notice a pair of heterochromatic eyes staring after her.

"Aka-chin, why are you smiling like that?"

"Geh! You look strange when you do that, ya know?"

"Akashi, are you feeling unwell? Do you need some of my medicine?"

"Akashicchi, I don't know what it is that I did but please spare me!"

"Eh?! Akashin, do you need to lie down?!"

As soon as his smile had appeared, his smile was replaced with a scowl at his friends' comments.

"Relax. I simply found a new target to go after. It seems like things are about to get interesting around here," Akashi stated as he smirked at their bewildered faces.

Oh, who knew that hanging around them for one of their outings could result in a new discovery? Today was indeed looking like a promising day.

….

Well, I didn't wanna leave the story by itself with only one chapter, so here's the second one! Ah, for the conversation that they all just had in case you couldn't guess who was talking, this is the order it went: Murasakibara, Aomine, Midorima, Kise and Momoi. :3 **Please review!**

\(•w•)/


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to those who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed my fanfiction! This makes me very happy! Well, here's chapter 3~~~!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 3: Meeting Up With The Seirin Crew and Someone Else

"_No way, it can't be! How did I not notice their presence behind me?"_ Kuroko was thinking to herself even as she kept on jumping over the rooftops. In eight more roofs, she'd be at the meeting place.

In another minute, she was standing on the cobblestone street of the port town, panting slightly at the sudden encounter. Honestly, she thought that the Teikou main pirate crew would only go to richer areas. Not that this port town was bad or anything, it was more of a middle class town. Kuroko was expecting them to go and raid a nobles' castle or something. Shaking her head of those thoughts, she stepped out from where she was hiding.

She had been the first to arrive at the meeting place, but now as she stepped out, she could see that her shipmates were looking in random places and directions to see where she was. Deciding that it would be a tad funny to spook them- she had been good and had refrained herself from freaking them out with her 'sudden' appearances- she walked to the middle area where everybody else was standing around.

"A-HEM."

O

O

O

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"What the heck, Kuroko?!" a redheaded tanned boy called Kagami Taiga screeched.

"Kuroko-chan, why do you feel the need to speed up our aging process?" her crews second mate and navigator, Aida Riko, asked.

"Riko-san, you seem to have forgotten that I am the one that usually wakes everyone up and makes it to our meeting places before you," Kuroko deadpanned.

Everyone fidgeted slightly at that. It was true. Without their captain, nobody else would even bother getting up. I mean, with all the fighting that they do day in and day out because of random pirates, they never seem to get enough rest. But, their captain is stern in making sure that everyone follows the schedule. She won't take no for an answer.

Heck, one time Kagami refused to get up and he was tossed in the open ocean by Kuroko. Nobody would ever think it since she looks weak. Let's just say that from then on, Kagami is the one who always got up first after Kuroko. He was her first mate, with Riko being her second mate. Despite his lack of intelligence, he is very strong and smart when it comes to battling and coming up with plans for it. Riko is the best navigator anyone could ask for. Besides that fact, she is the only other girl among the Seirin pirates and therefore, Kuroko appointed her second mate so that she could talk about matters concerning girls and strategies to make sure the guys in her crew didn't try anything stupid.

Mitobe is their ships' cook. Koganei is part of the look-out crew. Izuki is the main controller of the look-out crew, seeing that he has the eyes of an eagle. Hyuuga made sure to keep the guys in check and he was the one who oversaw the armory of their ship- from their handheld guns and swords to the ships cannons. The others worked on the ships' sails and keeping their ship clean.

Kuroko, as the captain, decided where they would go. She also made sure that they had enough money to lure other pirates in so that they could swoop in- on her orders- and take what the other pirates stole, giving it to those in need. Kurokos' crew was more of a pirate version of Robin Hood. How did she come to be the captain though? Well, that will be saved for another time. For now, let's see how our happy Seirin crew is doing after their short fright…

After taking a few short breaths, everyone was calmed down once more. Little did they know that they were being watched by multiple eyes…

Well, what do you think? Obviously people are going to stare after hearing multiple shrieks and screams and shouts. Calming themselves down, they said words of apology to the ruckus they had caused. They obviously didn't see another pair of eyes on them…or rather, on Kurokos' heavy looking purse. Well, it's not really a _purse_ as it is just a…bag. If you remember, the reason why her bag looks so heavy is because of Nigou being in it.

Kuroko, having recovered from her shock of seeing the Teikou main pirate crew, could feel eyes on her. Signaling for Kagami to come over to her, he obeyed her orders and stood next to her so that while she was facing ahead, he was looking over at her right. Not really noticing anything or anyone, he took a step back only to be met with a tiny body running into him.

"Oof!" Kagami grunted.

Kuroko was quick to grab the little body. Making sure that her grip was like steel on the neck of the little body's shirt, she dragged him in the direction of her ship with her crew following her. The little boy who had attempted to steal Kurokos' bag had short brown hair and big brown eyes. Once they had reached their ship and everyone was in a protective circle around Kuroko and the little boy, Kuroko let go of his shirt.

The boy had seen the still pirate flag. Even though the wind wasn't blowing it around, he could still make out the white of the cross-bones. Fear had overtaken him. He was barely able to keep standing and finally, the fear caused his knees to buckle. He was about to make friends with the wooden deck of the ship and his face when he felt a pair of small, delicate hands reach under his arms and keep him standing.

Slowly and carefully, Kuroko had set her bag down on the ground so as to not disturb the sleeping puppy. After having freed herself of the minimal weight and now having both her arms free again, she put her arms under the little boy who was trembling, in fear no doubt. Once again slowly and carefully, gently even, she lowered herself and the little boy into a sitting position on the deck of her ship.

Feeling him flinch, Kuroko gently gave him a hug and she slowly tightened it each time he flinched. Not to choke him or harm him in any way, but in hopes to calm him down. When he seemed to be flinching less, she spoke softly into his right ear, saying, "Shhh, it's okay. Nobody is going to harm you. You're safe here."

Suddenly the young boy broke out crying, sobbing and saying, "Aren't you going to kill me? I tried to steal your bag!"

Thinking a bit- not about killing him- Kuroko thoughtfully answered, "Well, the way things work for us is a bit different."

When his sobbing died down, she continued, "You know, we _are_ pirates and pirates don't follow the rules. Since you didn't steal from anyone else and in fact failed to steal from me, there is only one thing you can do to make it up to me."

Childish curiosity taking over, he asked, "What do you want me to do ma'am?"

"Oh, please don't call me ma'am. I'm not that old anyways," Kuroko chuckled slightly. This made the boy relax a little.

"If anything, from now on you must call me Kuroko-onee-chan or Tetsuki-nee."

"Okay!" the boy beamed.

Smiling at the contagious smile the boy was wearing she said, "Well, what I want you to do is join us. Do you have anyone taking care of you at the moment?"

Stunned a bit, the boy replied, "No I don't Tetsuki-nee. I've been living in a wooden barrel- well, I've been sleeping in it."

Frowning a bit at this, Kuroko stood the boy up. After getting on her own knees, she put her hands on his shoulders, making him look up at her. Upon seeing his slightly red and watery eyes, she immediately pulled him into an embrace.

"Well, from now on, you're going to be a part of our family. All of us will be your older brothers and sisters! …If you want, you can call me okaa-san. I wouldn't mind one bit," Kuroko boldly stated to the somewhat shocked boy.

He hadn't been given a hug, ever. Finally unable to hold them in, the boy let the tears stream down his face and onto Kurokos' shoulders.

"Un! Yeah, I would like that, okaa-san!"

Feeling her own eyes starting to water, she pulled herself away from the boy, all the while keeping her hands on his shoulders.

"Now that I'm your mother, I would like to call you by your name. What's your name?" she asked the boy.

Shaking his head sadly with new tears brimming his big brown eyes, he stated, "I don't have a name."

Hugging him again upon hearing that, she stated, "Then from now on, your name will be Kiyoshi Teppei. Alright, Teppei-kun?"

Smiling widely with tears in his eyes, Teppei shouted out a 'Yes!' before hugging his new mother tightly.

Everyone standing around them had tears in their eyes. It was such a sad thing to be denied a parents' love. Well, now Kiyoshi wouldn't have to be without it any longer.

After a few moments of that sweet encounter and forming of a new bond, Kuroko stood up with Kiyoshi in her arms and she started shouting out orders in order to get the ship out of the port and back to the wide open sea.

The Seirin crew had a new addition to their family- a little boy by the name of Kiyoshi Teppei. Also, Kuroko Tetsuki had just become a mother. And everybody knows that _nobody_ dares to mess with a mothers' child. Nigou now had a new family member to sniff. After all, should the need arise and he has to look for Kiyoshi, Nigou needed to know his scent. It was a much more enjoyable job for him _after_ Kiyoshi had been given a bath.

That night, Mitobe cooked a feast in honor of their newest family member as well as their captain gaining a child. The welcoming party lasted well into the night, ending with Kiyoshi and Nigou sleeping next to or slightly on top of Kuroko, who had made it to her bed in the captains' quarters.

Sighing contentedly, the three of them drifted off to sleep, welcoming any dreams that came their way.

….

I couldn't leave out Kiyoshi! And after reading a fic where Kiyoshi is a kid, I decided why not? He is soooooo cute as a little kid! **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction of mine! Please enjoy the fourth chapter!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 4: Going Out To Sea

The day after the lengthy welcoming party, one could find Kuroko with her outrageous bedhead walking towards the shower in her captain room. She had been careful to not wake Kiyoshi up while getting out of bed and was just about to enter the bathroom when she heard a muffled cry. Startled a bit, she quickly made her way back to her bed only to see a shivering figure of one Kiyoshi Teppei. Figuring that it must've been because of a nightmare, she gently shook him to wake him up.

Kiyoshi shot up and accidentally bumped foreheads with his new mother. Kuroko immediately fell face first onto the bed- after all, her noggin can only take so much pain. Feeling a slight headache coming on, she made sure to look at Kiyoshi to see how he was doing. He was clutching at his head with his tiny hands. It looked as if he was trying to hold back tears. What would you have done when you were only five years old and you accidentally head-butted someone first thing in the morning?

Yes, Kiyoshi is only five years old. It was such a shame for him to experience the loneliness of not having a parent at such an early age. But it was also an age that would make it easier for his new mother to erase those feelings of loneliness.

Sniffling a bit, he managed to say, "I'm fine," with a slightly wavering voice.

Sighing in relief, Kuroko smiled at her new son, sat up on the bed, bent over and kissed him on his forehead. Kiyoshi could only blush.

"Good morning, Teppei-kun. Let's go get some ice for that bump," Kuroko suggested.

"Yeah, okaa-san. …Ne, okaa-san?" Kiyoshi questioned.

"Yes, Teppei-kun?"

Fidgeting with his fingers a bit, he quickly sprang up, wrapped his tiny arms around Kurokos' slim neck and planted a sweet little kiss on her right cheek.

"Um, okaa-san, can I call you kaa-chan? Please?" the young brunette pleaded.

A bit surprised by the sudden morning kiss, her face melted into a warm, tender smile.

"Teppei-kun, you know that you can call me whatever you want," she answered.

Beaming at being able to call his mother in a more comfortable way, he said, "Good morning, kaa-chan!"

"Good morning to you too. Does the bump hurt, Teppei-kun?" Kuroko asked, a little worried that he might just be trying to be a 'big boy'.

Shaking his head no, he said, "Ne, kaa-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Um, I need to go pee. Where's the bathroom?" he asked with an embarrassed look.

Chuckling a bit at his actions, she asked, "Why don't we go to the bathroom and get cleaned up, Teppei-kun?"

"Un!"

With that, Kuroko carefully picked up her son, motioned for the now awake Nigou to go and do his business and walked to her bathroom.

• • •

After they had both relieved themselves and had gotten cleaned up- and had managed to get Kurokos' hair into a more normal appearance-, they made their way to their bedroom in order to get dressed. Seeing that the crew had worked in order to get clothes for the newest addition to their crew, Kuroko smiled. Her crew may disagree with each other sometimes, but whenever she was mentioned, they all got to working together again.

After being dressed much the same way the previous day, except now she had her bandana on and her hair was able to flow freely, Kuroko dressed Kiyoshi with little difficulty. After getting on his underwear- he had been a gentleman and had faced the other way when she was getting dressed-, she put him in some brown shorts, though they reached all the way down to his mid-calf. Next she put on him the loose, long-sleeved brown shirt. After that she dried his hair more and brushed it. Satisfied that he was looking presentable, she reached for the light brown socks that had been left at her door when a little hand stopped her.

"It's okay, kaa-chan! I can put them on!" little Kiyoshi assured.

Nodding to let him know she had heard him, Kuroko sat back as she watched _her_ son put on his socks. After he had them on, she got his boots on, tying them tightly since they were a bit big for him.

Feeling a little left out from his mother, Kiyoshi asked innocently, "Do I get to wear a banana too?"

Giving him a quizzical look, she asked, "A banana?"

Seeming to think for a bit, he blushed a bit out of embarrassment again and shook his head. Not knowing how to correctly pronounce words can be so hard for a little child. Finally deciding on how to ask his question, he simply pointed at her head and asked again, "Do I get to wear one of those, kaa-chan?"

Realizing what it is he had meant, Kuroko chuckled before reaching behind him.

"Close your eyes, Teppei-kun," she demanded.

Closing his eyes, all that Kiyoshi heard were the rustling sounds of cloth. Next he felt something touching his head along with his mothers' delicate fingers.

"Okay, open your eyes now," she said.

Opening his eyes, he was staring right into a little handheld mirror. Looking up a bit, he noticed the brown cloth tied around his head.

"Thank you, kaa-chan!" he thanked.

Kuroko had tied a brown bandana around his head, similar to the way she did her own. Smiling at how her sons' appearance simply screamed 'SO DANG KAWAII', Kuroko stood up and held her hand out to her son.

"Teppei-kun, shall we go and wake the others up?"

"Un, kaa-chan!"

_Arff! Arff!_

"Nigou, you come too. We need you to wake Kagami-kun up," Kuroko said with a slight smirk on her face.

Before leaving her room however, just like every other day, Kuroko put her sword around her waist. Seeing her sons' pleading look, she simply smiled at him and picked him up, earning a happy giggle out of him.

While they were walking the ships' corridors to get to the crews' bedrooms, Kiyoshi asked a question.

"Ne, kaa-chan. How come you're able to know what I'm thinking?"

Pondering on what was the best way to answer him, she finally found a suitable and understandable answer.

"Well Teppei-kun, I simply looked at your face and saw your expression. You looked like you wanted to get picked up, so I picked you up," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Wow! That's so cool, kaa-chan!" Kiyoshi squealed in delight.

Upon reaching her first mates' door, she opened it only to see Kagami pulling his boots on. Frowning- or possibly pouting, I'm not sure- at her loss of being able to scare Kagami into waking up, she called out to him.

"Kagami-kun, please help me wake up the others."

Nodding his head quickly, they left to wake the others up. Kuroko made sure to wake Mitobe up first so that they could all eat and not die. After he was heading towards the kitchen, she saw that Kagami had also waited and went in Rikos' room to wake her up.

About twenty minutes later and everybody was sitting in the kitchens' dining area, eating another well-made breakfast, silently thanking Mitobe for joining their crew.

After breakfast and with Nigou at her feet and Kiyoshi in her arms, Kuroko started giving out orders again. She explained that yesterday she had spotted the Teikou pirates' main crew. Fearing that they'd be taken into battle while off their guard, everybody immediately went to their positions.

Even while the trios of runaways were working the anchor to get it up and out of the water, the others were working on the sails, with Izuki keeping a look out. Not seeing anyone up at this time of day and seeing no other ships in sight, he called down to the others to get a move on. He recalled Kuroko saying that morning that a wind was coming their way and it was going to take them in the direction they wanted to go in. He didn't want to be late and miss that wind and disappoint his captain, so he made sure to do everything that he could.

In ten minutes flat, their ship was easily three miles from the port. Sighs of relief could be heard from all directions aboard the Seirin ship.

"Good job everybody," Kuroko commended. "I'll be steering us in the way the wind is blowing. We should end up at a new island in about a day and a half. Make sure to keep on the lookout in case any ships pop out on the horizon."

After receiving nods of confirmation, Kuroko steered away. Feeling a little hand tugging on her shorts material, she looked down into the eyes of a curious Kiyoshi Teppei.

"Ne kaa-chan. What does the ocean look like from up there?" he asked while pointing his tiny finger at the crow's nest where Izuki currently was.

"Izuki-kun! Teppei-kun wants to see the sea from the crow's nest. Can you get Koganei to get him please?" she asked her lookout.

"Sure! Yo, Teppei-kun! Uncle Koganei is gonna come down and pick you up!" Izuki shouted down to the happy five year old.

"Yay!"

While Koganei was climbing down the main mast in order to get to the top deck, a big gust of wind blew and he almost fell off- _almost_.

Kuroko, feeling the wind coming, immediately leapt towards her crew mate, catching his hand in her own while hanging onto the mast.

"Thanks a bunch, captain!" Koganei wheezed out.

"No problem, Koganei-kun," Kuroko replied.

After making sure that he had a secure hold again, Kuroko jumped down, landing with a soft _thump_.

While many people mistake her for being weak because of her petite stature, those that have fought her- and lost- know that it actually works to her advantage. Because she doesn't weigh much, she's able to jump high into the air and the wind, if blowing a certain way, helps her up.

Kiyoshi, who was startled by his mothers' sudden jump, suddenly said, "Ne, ne, kaa-chan! Can you get me up there too please?"

Raising a thin eyebrow, she nodded. Koganei, who had just gotten down, decided to use this as an opportunity to use the toilet. He only hoped that he hadn't messed himself because of the sudden fright.

Jumping up with Kiyoshi in her safe grasp, Kuroko landed right on the sails' mast, walked over to Izuki and handed him a happy Kiyoshi.

"Make sure he doesn't fall, Izuki-kun," Kuroko said.

Izuki flinched a bit, feeling a sudden chill make its way up and down his spine. After being with the small captain for a few years now, he knew when she had a steely tone in her voice, as if daring him to _not_ take care of the little bundle of joy.

"Don't worry, captain!" he saluted her. "I'll make sure that when he wants to get down I'll shout over to you."

Nodding in acceptance, she quickly leapt back down, landing right in front of the ships' steering wheel.

"_Well Teppei-kun, this is what it's like out on the open sea. I hope that you'll come to love it as much as we do," _Kuroko thought even as she steered the ship in the direction of their next destination.

Nobody, however, not even Izuki, noticed a ship off in the distance, slowly but surely trailing behind them. The captain of the ship smirked as his heterochromatic eyes saw through his telescope the petite figure of the light blue haired captain.

"Soon," he said, "soon…"

….

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd chapter 4 makes its way out! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to those that have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction of mine! I hope that you'll continue to enjoy this fic for however long it goes on as well as enjoy the cuteness of chibi Kiyoshi!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 5: Which Ship Is Following Which?

While Izuki was helping Kiyoshi see the ocean from up in the crow's nest, a different type of commotion was going on with the Teikou main pirate crew.

"Ne, Akashicchi~~~!" a blonde pirate whined.

Keeping his usual calm and composed demeanor, said captain replied with a tired sigh, "Yes, Ryouta? What is it this time? If you're going to ask about why we're following that ship, then I suggest you stop now."

Shutting up instantly, said blonde, Kise Ryouta, went back to manning the sails. Letting another tired sigh escape past his lips, Akashi Seijuro, the captain of the main Teikou pirate crew, left to go to his study in his captains' quarters. Once he was there and his door was firmly shut and locked, he walked up to one of the bookshelves. Immediately knowing which book it is that he wanted, he pulled down a diary.

No, not his personal diary. As if he would write such a thing. The way he saw it, happy days come and go, bad days come and go. A day comes and then goes- he is not one to dwell in the past. Well, he never really was one for dwelling in times gone by until it came to a certain captain of another pirate crew.

That's right- he had feelings towards Kuroko Tetsuki of the Seirin pirates. Which feelings, he wasn't sure. But he knew that the only way to quench his aching heart was to capture said captain and keep her on his ship. If he didn't find her annoying, he would delay killing her. At that moment, a memory decided to pay him a visit.

…5 years ago…

_Akashi was strolling down the streets of a rich port city. The city was known for its' wealth from trade and selling of localities such as red snapper and koi as well as the finest material available. Well, the main reason he and his crew were here was not in order to sightsee, but in order to rob a certain nobles' house. Continuing his walk even as he eyed certain stalls that were selling rich looking scarves, he failed to notice that someone was about to run into him. _

_Landing on his butt with an 'Oof', he opened his closed heterochromatic eyes, only to find himself staring into light blue ones. He was slightly startled, to say the least. He was staring, expecting the person that had fallen on top of him to be scared stiff upon seeing his unusual red and gold eyes, when all the girl did was stare back, no emotion showing in her beautiful eyes or on her face._

_Clearing his throat, he asked her, "Are you okay, shoujo?"_

_Seeming to break out of a trance that she had fallen into, the girl spoke up saying, "Yes, I'm fine. How are you sir? Are you hurt?"_

_Still somewhat surprised at her evident lack of fear, he stood up and held his hand out to her. Taking her hand in his, he helped pull her up. That was the first time Akashi got a good look at Kuroko Tetsuki._

_She had her long light blue hair in a tight braid, letting her bangs frame her petite and pale face. She had on a light blue gown with a white sash tied around her middle. Obviously, she was the daughter of a rich man._

_Breaking his eyes away so that he wasn't caught staring, he cleared his throat again before saying, "Do you need help getting to your destination, shoujo?"_

_Shaking her head no, she said, "I'm sorry sir for running into you. I wasn't watching where I was going- I was playing tag with the other children, actually. Ah, they found me."_

_As soon as she had said that, children of all heights came out of nowhere and ran up to the two eleven year olds. Akashi noted that they were all wearing rags, most likely kids that were living on the streets or in an orphanage near here. Feeling a tug on his black sleeve, he looked down into hazel eyes, seeing the wonderment they held at his own eyes._

_He really needed to buy an eye patch of some sort. He hated the stares he got just because of his eyes. Seeing his discomfort at being stared at, Kuroko gently shook the little girls' shoulders before saying, "Mary, you shouldn't stare at others. It isn't polite."_

"_Ah, sorry nii-chan! It's just that your eyes…"_

_Akashi was steeling himself for the imminent insult that he would undoubtedly hear before the girl finished, "…They're so pretty! I wish I had eyes like yours, nii-chan!"_

_His bewilderment could clearly be seen. After all, his eyes had never received compliments before- he only ever got compliments from his shipmates as well as friends. Then a delicate hand tapped his shoulder lightly, making him look over at the blue haired beauty._

"_Would you like to play with us, mister? The children have taken a liking to you."_

"…_Sure…" was his response._

_For the next two hours, all of them were playing, giggling having fun. Even Akashi felt himself relaxing. When he looked over at the girl, he felt a blush creeping its' way up his cheeks and ears. She was smiling. And laughing. Her laugh was easy going, her smile angelic. He had never seen such a beautiful creature- then again, he __**is**__ only eleven years old. Feeling himself smile, he started laughing too._

_Another hour passed before the girl clapped her hands, drawing the kids' attention to her._

"_Alright, it's getting dark out- we'll get to play again tomorrow. For now, go home and eat, then go to bed. I'll see you all tomorrow!"_

_And with that, the kids all said their goodnights and goodbyes, giving the bluenette hugs and cheek kisses._

_Feeling exhaustion getting to him, Akashi sat on a nearby barrel. The girl simply stretched. The silence was then broken by the girl who had a thoughtful look in her features._

"_Ne, do you really feel that uncomfortable about your eyes?" she asked out of curiosity._

_When she received a hesitant nod, she continued, "Then come with me and I'll take care of that."_

_Getting up from the barrel warily, he followed the girl through the slightly less crowded streets. Suddenly a hand grabbed his and gently pulled him along. His eyes widened slightly, not expecting the sudden contact. Looking over her shoulder, the girl smiled warmly at him. That was enough to shut down any protest he might've been thinking of._

_Upon reaching a stall that he had been looking at earlier- the one that sold scarves- the girl picked up a light blue bandana and a red scarf, similar to his hair and eye color. Handing some coins to the older woman who apparently owned the stall, the girl then moved onto another stall. This time, she picked up a simple yet elegant black eye patch. Handing the older man some money, she then turned Akashi around so that his back was facing her._

_Feeling his face heat up a bit at the sudden action, he felt a silky smooth fabric being pulled over his left eye- his golden one. He then heard some fabric rustling and felt a little knot on the back of his head with some string hanging out of it. Feeling himself being turned again, he saw himself in a mirror that the seller kept around in case of times like these._

_It made him feel a little better, knowing that nobody would be able to tell that his eyes were different. But for some reason, at the same time he felt bitter about it. He had met other people, younger than him and possibly his own age, who said that they were jealous of his stunningly beautiful mismatched eyes. Now that he was able to cover his golden left eye, he suddenly didn't want an eye patch. Of course, in order to not be rude, he didn't pull it off. _

_While he felt a little bitter about it, at the same time he felt a warm feeling in his stone-hard, ice-cold heart. Then he saw the girl bending over slightly, getting into a kneeling position. He then saw why she had bought the red scarf and light blue bandana. Carefully, she tied the red scarf around his waist, letting it hang on his left knee. She then stood up and promptly wrapped the bandana around her head. Feeling to make sure her hair wasn't caught in the knot she had tied, she looked in the mirror herself, satisfied with her work._

"_There. Now you can't refuse, since I have also bought myself something. You look really nice with that scarf on- it really brings out your red eye. Though I wish that I could also see your gold eye as well…" she trailed off._

_Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she then said, "By the way, my name is Kuroko Tetsuki. I'm eleven years old, nice to meet you." She held out her hand to Akashi, who took it gently and replied politely, "My name is Akashi Seijuro and I am also eleven years old. It was nice to meet you too."_

_Then he did something he never thought he would- he SMILED. Not a fake one, not a sadistic one, but a genuine and almost loving one. The girl was once again in a trance, staring at that beautiful smile, smiling herself._

_In the distance, the sound of a clock went off, telling them that it was now 9 o'clock in the evening. Feeling a bit sad that they now had to part ways, Akashi asked, "What do you think of the sea?"_

_A little taken aback by the sudden question, Kurokos' surprised face turned into a thoughtful one. "Hmmm, I like it. It always looks so beautiful, even when the worst possible storm comes around. I also like how it smells. Why do you ask, Akashi-kun?"_

"_I was just wondering…Ne, can I tell you something?" Akashi asked, visible eye showing hope._

_After receiving a nod he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Well you see, I'm actually a pirate. The name of my crew is Teikou. I'm also the captain of the main crew. If you ever make your way out to sea, we'll most likely end up seeing each other again."_

_Finding not fear but curiosity and a slight twinkle in her blue orbs, he was about to speak again when she beat him to it._

"_Ne ne, Akashi-kun! I don't know when, but someday I'll make it out to sea! Then we'll be able to meet again, right?"_

"_Hai!" Akashi replied enthusiastically._

_Giggling a bit at his eager response, she then leaned over and kissed him on his right cheek. Once the action she had done registered in his mind, he immediately started blushing. His cheeks- no, his entire FACE- was almost as red as his hair. For his cheeks to blush like that, he was not only extremely embarrassed but also caught off guard. Chuckling into her hand again, she smiled up at him and said, "As thanks for helping me to entertain the children today for a bit longer."_

_And with that, Kuroko walked away saying, "If we ever meet on the sea, will our ships battle? Or will our ships form an alliance?"_

_Akashi called after her, "We'll most likely fight."_

_Hearing her laugh, he smiled to himself, watching with his eye as she walked off and out of his sight._

…Present Time…

That was the first and last time they met. But as far as Akashi is concerned, they were going to meet again one way or the other!

"_I can't believe it. She has me wrapped around her little finger,"_ Akashi thought absently.

Really, who was following who?

…..

Le gasp! Didn't really expect a longer chapter…but then again, I didn't wanna make a short and crappy chapter, so I continued it! I hope you guys liked this flashback I put in here. I wanted to make them have some sort of relationship soooo…here ya go! **Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to those that have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction of mine! It really makes me happy each and every time I read a review! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter as well!

Oh and by the way, this story's cover picture was made by my good friend, AceOfBlueSpades. Did a good job, Ace! (By the way, if any of you are interested in Soul Eater fanfictions, go check out one of her stories…)

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 6: Battle Start!

While Akashi was having his memory run through his mind, back with the Seirin crew, Izuki had finally noticed the Teikou ship. Not even bothering to take the time to climb down, he jumped down only to be met with a strong yet little gust of wind, safely landing on the deck. Kiyoshi jumped after him and was immediately caught by Kuroko who jumped up to catch him. Frowning a bit at her shipmates careless act, she asked "What's wrong, Izuki-kun?"

Noticing his pale color and the direction he was pointing, she took out her mini-telescope and paled instantly. After making sure that she had put her telescope back in its place, she whistled loud enough for her crew and only her crew to hear her.

Everybody fell in line, wondering why Izuki and Kuroko looked a tad paler than they remembered them to be. Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, she let it out slowly before turning her gaze to her shipmates.

A sense of foreboding fell on them all, save Nigou and Kiyoshi- Nigou cause he's a dog and won't really understand what they're saying but will try his best to make his owner happy; Kiyoshi because he is only five and therefore too young to really understand his mothers' worry- as they listened to their captain.

They all paled, even the usually rowdy Kagami Taiga as Kuroko said, "Izuki-kun has seen the Teikou pirates' main crews' ship. At the moment, it's too soon to assume anything, but if I'm right,", _"and I hope I'm wrong,"_ she thought, "then we are most likely being followed. For now, make sure that our weaponry is in good order and that none of our cannons are cracked."

A loud 'HAI!' was their response. Immediately everyone, excluding Nigou and Kiyoshi, set about doing their work. Riko thought of a different course that they could take in order to avoid an unwanted fight and still make it to their destination. Kagami sharpened all the swords- Kuroko took care of her own. Izuki kept a constant look out, only being relieved every now and then when Koganei took over, eyes never once leaving the multicolored ship. Hyuuga made sure all bullets were put in dry packs carefully while Tsuchida made sure all guns were without mistakes- nobody wants to face an opponent- an EXTREMELY STRONG opponent- with a faulty gun. If they did, they'd end up dying.

It was now late evening, meaning that they had spotted the Teikou ship about 12 hours prior, so around 9 in the morning. They had all taken turns to eat and use the toilet, making sure to always keep a look-out for the enemy ship. Seeing her son yawn for the fifth time that night, Kuroko motioned over to Riko to take the wheel before she picked her son up and carried him off to her room, Nigou following behind obediently.

"_YAWWWNNN…_Kaa-chan, are you coming to bed too?" a sleepy Kiyoshi asked.

Smiling apologetically, Kuroko answered, "Sorry, Teppei-kun. Something important has come up and as this ships' captain, I need to make sure that we all get away safely. You just sleep soundly- before you know it, it'll be morning and we'll all be eating breakfast made by Uncle Mitobe again, alright?"

Not wanting to disappoint his mother but not wanting to be left alone as well, Kiyoshi finally made up his mind and grabbed his mothers' shirt, effectively bringing her onto the bed. Sighing a bit, Kuroko said, "Alright, Teppei-kun. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

Pleased that he had made his mother agree to sleep with him and also get some rest herself, Kiyoshi closed his eyes. In five seconds he was in LaLa Land. It had been a very exhausting day after all.

About to get up again, Kuroko stopped when she heard her door being opened, locked and closed again. Then she heard sounds of what seemed to be her shipmates barricading her in her own room. She sighed again. They really did worry about her too much. Well, she might as well get washed. Even though Kiyoshi had been tired, Kuroko had managed to get him washed and dressed in some pajamas.

Making sure to make as little noise as possible, Kuroko reached her bathroom and got herself ready for bed. While she was in the shower, she's pretty sure that she heard the barricade being removed and her door being unlocked. Oh well. Might as well get some sleep now. She'll just have to wake up even earlier tomorrow.

Little did they all know that tomorrow would be the big fight…

…Sleeping Soundly and Catching Some Z's…

…Waking Up and Getting Ready…

Just like the day before, Kuroko, Kiyoshi and Nigou got up and ready for the day. Making her way out of her room with Kiyoshi in her arms rubbing the sleep away from his eyes with his tiny hands and Nigou walking next to her feet, Kuroko was surprised, to say the least. That morning, unlike all the other mornings aboard this ship, everyone was already up. No wonder she had heard moving around when she woke up that morning…

"Everyone, what's wrong?" she asked with a worried tone.

Everybody jumped at the quiet voice. Turning in her direction, all eyes immediately softened and all bodies relaxed, just slightly though. Deciding to be the first to break the silence, Izuki said, "Captain, the Teikou ship has gotten even closer. If they catch a good wind, they'll meet up with us no doubt by noon today! We are all awaiting your orders, Captain Kuroko!"

At that, everyone kneeled as a sign of respect. Kuroko rolled her eyes at this. How many years had they been friends? Was it her imagination?

"Stand up, everyone. As you have heard from Izuki-kun, we will all need to prepare for battle. Eat a hearty breakfast now- we might not get to eat until much later, depending on how long the battle goes on for," Kuroko stated.

"HAI!" was shouted by everybody as they saluted their captain.

Everyone armed themselves, making sure that if they should be taken by surprise- and they most likely would be- they'd be ready to fend off the attackers. Or at least live for a few more seconds. That's how fierce the main crew of Teikou is. Even the best fighters- excluding the Teikou pirates themselves- always ended up dead. The best lived for another minute at most.

Kuroko was fairly certain that she could live for a few minutes should they be attacked. She feared for those of her crew that weren't really fighters though. Not to mention her son, Kiyoshi. Even if it would cost her her life, she would protect him until the end. She was making her way up to the main deck that held the wheel that she turned when all of a sudden, she heard and then saw a cannon zoom past her and into the ocean on the other side of her ship.

Looking in the direction that it had come from, she instantly paled when she saw that Izuki had unfortunately been correct about the Teikou ship catching a good wind and unfortunately wrong about how soon they'd meet. She wasn't the only one who had heard the cannon fire. Looking back to her left, she saw in the distance the island they were trying to get to.

They'd never make it.

At least, that's what she thought.

Regaining her composure, she tightened her grip on her son, scratching the thought to put him in her room. What if the cannon hit the ship? He'd drown and she'd never be able to reach him in time. Calling out to her crew, she yelled, "_PREPARE FOR BATTLE!_"

Everyone was making a mad dash for their positions. Their cannon shooter, Hyuuga, immediately shot over to the Teikou ship, his shot landing right in front of their enemy ship. It was more of a distraction for them anyway. Kuroko could feel another good wind coming their way and she set her mind to it that they'd reach it. However, the Teikou ship also caught it and it was closing in on them.

Jumping up to the crow's nest, Kuroko set Kiyoshi and Nigou in it, wanting to make sure they wouldn't be caught up in the fight. Another cannon whizzed past her just then, almost making her lose her footing. _Almost_.

Steadying herself, she called out to Hyuuga to shoot again. He aimed. He shot. He missed. Actually, the ship swerved out and then back in, completely avoiding Hyuugas' shot. Kuroko strained her eyes, trying to see if there were any people visible onboard at all.

Red.

Vibrant red is all that she saw. Then a blur and she was staring straight into an equally vibrant red eye. The redheaded man pulled back his black eye patch, revealing his other eye- his golden eye. The eye that seemed to scream, "Bow down to me or else."

But not once did Kuroko flinch, she simply jumped back so as to avoid any sword piercing her if he had any swords on him. He did. He had two swords to be precise. Swords similar to her own, except her sword is white and his swords are black. He was leaning over her a bit- looks like he's about an inch or two taller than her. After studying her for what felt like hours, but who knows how long- it was 2 minutes 34 seconds, to be precise, but who's counting?- he smirked.

"Hello there, Tetsuki. How have you been taking to life on the wide, open sea?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Frowning slightly and not liking the closeness of their faces, but not wanting to back down to the enemy either, she put her hands on her hips and said with a defiant face and voice, "Don't mock me."

His smirk seemed to only grow as he said, "Oh, but it's sooo much fun."

And the fight began.

….

Yay! Aren't you guys happy? I updated 2 chapters today for this fanfic and another chapter for Sweet and Subtle! Getting work done, oh yeah! Next chapter, their swords shall clash! **Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction of mine! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter as well!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 7: Clashing Swords- Akashi vs. Kuroko!

_Clang! Cling-clang! C-clang!_

Akashi and Kuroko immediately clashed with their swords. Kuroko didn't know why, but something about this man seemed familiar to her yet at the same time annoyed her. Most likely it was his attitude…

Akashi was pleasantly surprised. Though all he showed was a smirk that was still growing and that the mightiest of storms wouldn't be able to wipe off his face. He was a tad surprised at the strength this girl was showing. She was very light and quick on her feet, almost catching him by surprise if not for his own quick reflexes. She looked a bit more mature than five years ago, though it seemed as if she didn't recognize him. He would ask around about that- the scar that was practically invisible right under her hairline, practically invisible to all but him.

Focusing back on the fight, Akashi saw a determined look in those eyes he dreams of every single night and even during the day. Ever since he first met her, he decided that one way or another he would claim her as his. Though he still didn't seem to understand that he was feeling love for her, longing and not some sick, twisted and sadistic fantasy- like having her beg him to free her crew only to end up killing them all. His mind was confusing itself- he had never felt such a strong and warm emotion. He didn't want to let it go though and whenever he thought of Kuroko, his feelings only grew.

At first it was simple happiness that he hadn't been rejected. It soon turned into admiration for her and her continuous efforts to make the orphans' lives not miserable. It then turned into adoration as he watched her save a puppy. The thing that set him off was seeing how she acted around that little brown haired kid, turning his five year old feelings into that of love. Though he didn't really like the fact that she paid so much attention to a little brat and not to him- he refused to admit he felt jealous about a five year old brat. Well, there goes his affection for the little boy…

At that instant, he saw a little patch of brown hair and a small whimper come from the crows nest. Figuring out how he could get what he wants, he immediately made a bee-line for the place where Kiyoshi and Nigou were supposed to be _hiding_. He didn't expect to have the wind suddenly knocked out of him though. Yeah, you _really_ shouldn't try messing with a mothers' child.

As soon as Kuroko had caught the subtle glance that this stranger- well, she knows who he is, but she's never met him- had sent in the direction of her son and dog, fury raged within her. From out of nowhere, she felt a burst of powerful energy fill her being, allowing her the strength needed to knock out of the air the powerful Akashi Seijuro.

Immediately seeing his surprised expression turning into one of anger, Kuroko quickly grabbed Kiyoshi and Nigou and jumped to the ground. However, her line of sight was not met with the wooden deck of the ship. Nope, it was met with the clear blue of the ocean that seemed to only turn darker under what appeared to be her shadow.

_SPLASH!_

"Captain!" the entire crew shouted.

The wind had picked up just then- the good wind they were hoping would take them to the island took their captain, her son and her dog into the wide open ocean. Their faces all screamed fear.

Akashi did not fail to notice this, wondering what Kurokos' crew knew that he didn't. He soon found out.

Kuroko came up spluttering, trying to keep herself afloat with her arms tightly grasping her dog and son. Not to mention the wind was starting to make the ocean a little rough, making it harder for her to keep all their heads above the water. Her legs were going to give out sooner or later. She couldn't even manage to simply float, something she was not proud of. Hearing Kiyoshi coughing, undoubtedly getting water in his mouth and swallowing it, Kuroko forced all of her strength into her arms.

With a loud battle cry of "Raaaaah!", Kuroko tossed Kiyoshi, who was now clutching Nigou upon his mothers' command, up towards her ship, relieved when she saw Kagami grab him and the dog.

Relieved that they were out of harm's way, she failed to notice that her throwing force had thrown her back a few more meters from her ship. She also failed to feel the slight brush of an aquatic animals' fin against her leg. Before she knew it, she was looking up at her ship from _under_ the water. Thrashing her arms wildly, trying to get back above the surface, she was only dragged down farther.

That's when she felt it. Such a searing pain that made her scream, though it only resulted in a garbled cry and more water in her lungs instead of air. Her body- more so her left shoulder and arm- was being bitten. She could actually feel the teeth sinking in even deeper, threatening to tear off her entire left arm. With a last attempt to free herself, Kuroko reached for the dagger she kept in her left pocket. Gripping it with her right hand, she slashed at whatever had bit into her.

It worked. The harsh grip on her shoulder and arm was let go and Kuroko wasted no time in trying to get back to the surface by pushing off of whatever was behind her. Feeling herself go dizzy, she managed one last push off, effectively surfacing, gulping in as much air as she could without choking. Uh-oh. She was now even _farther_ than before! It seemed as though she was an entire mile away from the now battling ships. Only able to feel tiredness and pain taking over her, she slipped into a state of unconsciousness, not even noticing the pair of arms wrapping around her securely.

As Akashi watched with widened eyes, Kuroko, the brown haired brat and the puppy plunged into the open sea. He wasn't expecting such a strong gust of wind to blow just then and, judging by the expression on Kurokos' face, neither was she. She must've been focused on not letting her son and dog get hurt at all to even notice the wind changing.

As soon as they hit the water, he heard a loud '_SPLASH!'_

When he saw her crews' fear-stricken faces, he wondered what there was to worry about, but he soon got his answer when Kuroko resurfaced after about a minute, spluttering and looking distressed.

"_She can't swim? Wait, what's that shadow lurking behind her?"_ Akashi was thinking, face full of concern.

A shark. A hungry shark, apparently.

All of a sudden Akashi was pulled from his thoughts as he heard a battle cry and saw as Kuroko was pushed farther away from the ship and her son and dog were flying, together, through the air, getting caught by that redheaded tanned teen. When he looked back, Kuroko was nowhere to be seen.

Akashi wasn't even thinking as he felt himself jumping into the cool waters of the ocean. As he neared- quickly neared- the struggling form of Kuroko Tetsuki, he saw her arms thrashing around before he dove back under the water and actually heard a gargled scream. Thanks to the midday sun that was pouring into the surface of the water and a good couple feet under it, Akashi felt himself pale.

The shark, as he had assumed, was biting into Kurokos' left arm and shoulder. He could see the red surrounding them. All of a sudden, Kuroko pulled out a small yet very sharp-looking dagger from her left pocket with her right hand and slashed at the shark behind her. He felt relief coming to him as he saw the shark temporarily back off. Once again, Kuroko surprised him by kicking off of the shark with what he assumed to be the last of her strength.

Resurfacing as well, he saw Kuroko was quickly losing consciousness. In two quick strokes he was by her side, wrapping his arms securely around her small waist. Knowing that the shark would probably attack them both, Akashi whistled as loudly and shrilly as possible. Immediately he saw a rowboat heading their way. Swimming with only one arm, his other still around the now completely unconscious girls' waist, refusing to let go, he met the rowboat halfway, putting his hand up and feeling it get taken in a strong grasp.

Aomine heaved him up and over, with Kuroko, into the rowboat, starting to head towards the island, the two ships following behind them, having caught the good wind and worried for their captains.

In a short half-hour, both the ships and the rowboat were securely anchored or tied at the port of the island. They had reached their destination, though not without casualties, all of which were on the Seirins' crews' pirate.

"Guys, back off and give us some space!" Akashi barked at his crew and Kurokos' crew.

They were in a doctors' office, in the middle of town. Needless to say, when Kurokos' crew, as well as her son and dog, had caught sight of her bloodied shoulder and arm they all just about passed out. The only thing keeping them awake was their fear for their captains', owners', mothers', life.

Kiyoshi was crying uncontrollably, refusing to stop till his mother opened her eyes. Nigou whined, pawing at the bed cover that was on top of his owner. Everyone else, needing to be brave for the little one in their crew, refused to cry.

The doctor, not wanting his knocked out patient to jerk awake, used anesthetic on Kuroko in order to check how bad the damage was, stitch her up and put bandages over the stitches.

The doctor feared the worst and told those present the worst-case-scenario would be that once Kuroko woke up, she'd most likely be unable to use her left arm ever again. He'd wait till she woke up to see if she wanted it amputated or not. Akashi though wouldn't have it. As soon as the doctor finished telling them the news, Akashi spoke up, startling the room, even his own crew, at the commanding and loving tone it held.

"No. She shall not have it amputated. We travel the seas- we will most likely come across a treatment that will be able to help her," he stated decidedly.

After about an hour long _discussion_ between Akashi and the doctor, Akashi left with Kuroko in his arms, safely and securely tucked into a warm blanket. Everybody followed behind him, except for Nigou who immediately ran to walk beside him and Kiyoshi who walked next to Nigou, staring up at the limp figure of his mother anxiously with red, teary eyes.

They reached an inn, got rooms for them all- the trio and Kagami shared a room; Momoi and Riko shared a room; Hyuuga, Izuki, Koganei and Mitobe shared a room; Kise, Midorima, Murasakibara and Aomine shared a room; Akashi and Kuroko, along with Kiyoshi and Nigou, shared a room. Gently, Akashi placed the still sleeping Kuroko on the one bed, Kiyoshi immediately asking to be picked up and getting his wish granted, while Nigou successfully jumped up and snuggled near his owners' head with Kiyoshi settling for sleeping around his mothers' middle.

Akashi took off the boys' boots as well as Kurokos', pulling the blanket back a bit in order to do so, carefully tucking it back in place after. He decided to be nice and put the inns' blanket around Kiyoshi as well. Hearing their even breathing, he headed for the shower, cleaning himself off of the salty water and somewhat bloody water as well.

…ZzZzZzZzZ…

That morning, Kuroko woke up to an unfamiliar feeling and loss of feeling. Huh? What is that supposed to be?

Turning a little on her right side, she stopped when she spotted an endearing and familiar head of brown. Feeling something next to her head, she smelled the familiar scent of Nigou. Seeing where she was, she waited a bit as memories came flooding back to her.

Ah, that's right. She had been bitten- that explains the loss of feeling. But how did she get into what she assumed to be an inn?

She soon got her answer. Akashi had also woken up- being a light sleeper he had heard the rustling of sheets. Looking over at where he had carefully placed Kuroko down, the bed next to his, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. She was awake. Seeing the color somewhat draining from her face, he guessed she had remembered the shark.

Then she looked to her right- straight at the now sitting up form of Akashi. Her eyes widened almost comically, if not for the slight wince that followed after it. Hearing her groan a bit due to the returning pain, Akashi got up and quickly left the room.

Thirty minutes later he brought in a tray filled with a few plates of breakfast food. Actually gently shaking Kiyoshi up, the five year old gazed at him with drowsy eyes before his nose picked up the smell of food. Following Akashi off the bed where his mother was, Kiyoshi obediently sat down at a little table, digging into the yummy food of the inn.

"_Though it's not as yummy as Uncle Mitobes' cooking,"_ Kiyoshi thought.

Walking back over to Kuroko, he, once again gently, pulled Kuroko up into a sitting, well, leaning-against-him position. Grunting a little at the pain, Akashi paused before he continued getting Kuroko into a more upright position.

"Here, you need to eat this before you can take this medicine. The medicine will numb the pain, but you'll still have to rest," Akashi ordered in a soft voice to the clearly pained girl.

Blinking away the sleep in her eyes, Kuroko said a quiet 'Thank you' before Akashi spoon fed her her breakfast. It was simple and light, perfect for Kuroko who was feeling a little queasy from the strong anesthetic that the doctor had given to her the day before. After she had eaten all that was on her plate and had taken the pill, she was given water which she greedily drank, not leaving a drop.

Sighing in contentment at the now full feeling in her stomach and slowly receding pain, Kuroko snuggled up into the warmth that Akashis' body was giving off.

Blushing- and I mean blushing as red as his hair-, Akashi took his boots off again and pulled the blanket out from under Kuroko. Kiyoshi, having finished his breakfast, walked back over to the bed that his mother was in. Akashi, seeing the longing look in the brunettes' eyes, picked him up and put him in-between himself and _his_ Kuroko before he pulled the beds' blanket over all of them, his arm serving as a pillow for Kurokos' head and Kurokos' right hand clutching his nightshirt.

Contented with the warmth and safety she was feeling, not to mention the drowsiness that was now claiming her mind- a small side effect of the medicine-, Kuroko fell asleep.

Kiyoshi soon followed his mother to LaLa Land, with Akashi admiring Kurokos' beauty before he too fell asleep. Off in the background somewhere, Akashi was sure he heard the birds beginning to greet the new day, while he, Kiyoshi and Kuroko slept the day away, too warm and safe for any noise to disturb them, their crews also slept.

….

Gah! This was my longest chapter ever! I mean my longest chapter out of the 2 stories I'm currently writing! Well, I have something in mind for Kuroko, so don't worry about her TOO much. I was killing myself with suspense over this chapter…**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction! And thanks a bunch for not deserting this story after last chapters…events. I DO NOT PLAN ON KILLING OFF KUROKO AT ALL! Anyways, enjoy this chapter as well!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 8: Resting Up and Recovering

The second time Kuroko woke up that day was around 7:00 P.M. She had been put to sleep by the medicine as well as her own fatigue from everything that had happened the day before. Feeling herself fully wake, she realized that she was sleeping on something harder than your usual, everyday pillow. That's when she heard it. A light snore coming from right next to her face.

The warm air- well, breath- that was being blown on her smelled of mint and pine, but mostly the sea. Squirming a bit because she needed to use the bathroom, something she hadn't used in over 24 hours, she caused the person sleeping next to her to stir. Feeling relieved that she'd be able to see who it was that was sleeping next to her and keeping her from getting up, her breath got caught up in her throat at the sight of red and gold.

"_That's right…Akashi was feeding me and Teppei-kun…then he climbed into bed as well after he finished giving me medicine…Medicine? What was it fo-"_ Kuroko was brought out of her thoughts at the sudden throbbing sensation starting from her left hand, travelling up her left arm and even to the junction where her shoulder and neck meet.

"Ow…" Kuroko mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Akashi suddenly spoke up, slight worry in his voice- which of course went unnoticed by Kuroko.

Startled a bit and not expecting Akashi to suddenly speak up, Kuroko jerked away, sending yet another throb of pain, though this time it jerked her almost all the way off the bed. Fortunately, Akashi caught her before she could land on her bottom, being careful so as not to agitate her injury further. Sure it had been stitched up and bandaged, but that didn't mean that it wasn't there. Akashi frowned to himself, Kurokos' eyes shut because of the pain.

"_So she can still feel her left arm…"_ he thought to himself. Well, even though it had only been a day since she had the stitching performed on her arm, it would be better now to find out if her left arm can be used than to wait for it to heal, only for it to be unusable.

"Tetsuki," Akashi started out. "Do you remember what happened to you yesterday?"

Blinking her eyes open slowly, the pain having receded greatly but still present, Kuroko put on a thoughtful look. "I was attacked by a shark."

Nodding his head in confirmation, Akashi continued. "The doctor stitched your wounds closed and put bandages around your left arm and shoulder in order to cover the stitches and catch any blood that might seep out if you overexert your injury." Taking a deep breath, he dropped the bomb. "The doctor said that you might not be able to use your left arm ever again. He also wants to know if you want it amputated or not."

He kept quiet after that- so quiet you could've heard a pin drop.

_Drip drip drip._

"_Is she crying?"_ Akashi wondered. He moved a bit in order to get into a comfortable position, but he stopped when he saw that Kuroko actually was crying.

Well, she wasn't making any noises, but tears kept dripping down her face, continuously, one by one. The look in her eyes was killing him on the inside. Her eyes that usually held no emotion, he noticed, now had a look of confusion, distress and disbelief. Her eyes had widened so much and her light blue irises had shrunk back in what Akashi assumed to also be fear.

Then he heard it. A heart wrenching sob made its' way from Kurokos' throat. Then her body started to shake. Each time she'd sob, her body would shake harder than before. Finally she started full out crying. Tears going down her face, her eyes getting red and puffy from her tears, her face getting red from her crying and her throat was starting to get hoarse from the loud sobs and cries that left her lips.

Akashi was beginning to panic. He had NO idea how to deal with a crying girl, let alone the only girl that he paid attention to. In an awkward manner, he lifted his left hand and gently patted Kurokos' head in a comforting manner. This seemed to have shocked Kuroko enough to get her to stop crying for a few seconds.

After having calmed down a bit, though the tears were still coming, Kuroko gave Akashi a weary smile.

"Sorry for crying like that, Akashi-," Kuroko began to apologize.

"Seijuro," Akashi interrupted Kuroko midsentence. Seeing her confused eyes, he finished, "My first name is Seijuro. I want you to call me by that name, with no honorifics, Tetsuki."

"Why, Akashi?" Kuroko questioned.

"Because sooner or later you will be mine. I just thought that you'd like to get used to calling me that way," Akashi explained, as if this happened on a regular basis, a smirk playing on his lips.

Kuroko stared at Akashi with a doubtful look, though with her red face and red and puffy eyes from crying, it looked more like a tiny pout. Akashi fought against the oncoming blush, winning. Deciding that she wasn't going to speak anytime soon, Akashi picked Kuroko up and was about to put her on the bed when all of a sudden, she spoke.

"I think I'd be fine walking on my own. Also, I'd like to get a shower and clean off, Akashi."

Considering it for a minute, Akashi shook his head. "I'll go and get that brunette girl from your crew to come and wipe you down. If you got a full-on shower now, it would only serve to hurt you."

Thinking a bit, Kuroko sighed and said, "Okay."

Nodding his head after placing Kuroko down on the mattress gently, Akashi swiftly left the room, knowing that the room right across from theirs' was where he would find said brunette. Knocking quickly, he waited for an answer. He soon got one.

"Who is it?" came a grumpy voice.

"Captain Akashi Seijuro, current caretaker of Captain Kuroko Tetsuki," he rolled his eyes.

In a split second the door was open, revealing a now non-grumpy Aida. "How's the captain?!" she asked, worry coloring her voice.

"She's woken up and she wishes to get cleaned off. She shouldn't get any showers yet because her stitches are still fresh. It wouldn't help her if she damages whatever is helping her heal, wouldn't you say so?" Akashi stated.

Taking a deep breath, Aida said, "Okay. I guess you came to get me for that, huh? Very well, at least I'll get to talk to her as well. Oh, by the way, the name is Aida Riko. You may call me-,"

"Aida-san. Now please just get in the room and take care of Tetsuki," Akashi half-demanded, half-asked- he _never_ begged.

Nodding her head, Aida quickly ran back to her bed, grabbed a box- full of medical supplies, Akashi assumed- and ran into the room where she saw Kuroko lying down with a bit of a pained look.

"Captain! I'm so glad you're awake! Everybody is going to be so happy to see you," Aida said.

"Hello to you to, Riko-san. Um, though this is a bit embarrassing, would you mind helping me get to the toilet first?" Kuroko asked, a slight blush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

Smiling at her younger captain, Aida nodded before she leaned down a bit in order to help Kuroko get up. She saw that Kiyoshi was nowhere in the room. _"Kagami-kun must've come in earlier when I heard that commotion out in the hall…" _Aida thought to herself.

Kiyoshi wouldn't have ever left his mothers' side, but a slightly irate Akashi had picked him up after he fell asleep, carried him over to the room where he knew the other redhead would be, practically kicked the door open and was met with shouts of 'WHAT THE HECK?!' and 'Thank goodness it's not a girl…'

Unaffected, he stated what he had come by for, "I would like to get some sleep and I don't wish to disturb your captain. This little fellow, however, is getting in my way of doing that. So, you are now going to take care of him and make sure that he doesn't come and disturb us."

Not a second later and Kagami was holding a sleeping Kiyoshi, Akashi having already left the room, the door now closed. "Sheesh, what a jerk…" Kagami started saying before he felt a cold chill run up his spine.

_Never underestimate the power of Akashi Seijuro._

Having finally gotten Kuroko to stand on her feet, Aida slowly led the way to the bathroom. Locking the door to the inns' room, Aida left the bathroom door wide open. It wasn't so as to let a still sleeping Nigou in, but rather so that Aida could hear if someone needed her. Lifting the lid of the toilet seat, Aida helped her captain undress before she gently helped her to sit on the toilet.

A wave of relief washed over Kuroko and it showed on her face. _"I thought I was going to mess myself…"_ she absentmindedly thought, ignoring the amused face of her second mate.

Aida wasn't disgusted at the thought of helping her captain do these things. But she didn't want to make a habit of it. Before she had joined Kurokos' crew, she had been her fathers' assistant in running his little clinic. So she had experience with helping people get cleaned off and dressed. It just wasn't all that enjoyable to do.

After Kuroko had finished her business and Aida had cleaned up for her, Aida helped Kuroko get off the toilet seat before she gingerly washed her hands, not wishing to hurt her captain. Once that was done, Aida started filling the tub with warm water. Seeing that it was filled enough but not too much, Kuroko was aided by Aida over the edge of the tub and then into a sitting position. After receiving an ok nod from her captain, Aida started cleaning her off. She cleaned her hair, knowing that her captain doesn't really like having her messy bedhead left to stay messy. She paid careful attention to the area that was currently wrapped in bandages, washing around it and making sure to scrub away, gently, any blood that might have crusted that wasn't under the bandaging.

It took a while because Kuroko kept wincing in pain, but after an hour Kuroko was helped out of the tub, dried off and dressed into her pajamas, which Tsuchida, who was guarding their ships, had brought over when Koganei switched off with him that afternoon. Helping brush through her hair after having dried it off with a provided towel- which resulted in making it messier- and satisfied, Kuroko walked by herself- with Aida an inch behind her- back to her bed, a frown and worried look claiming her face.

"Where's Teppei-kun? Where is he? Where's my son?" Kuroko asked frantically.

"Don't worry, Kuroko. He's with Bakagami. Do you want to see him now that you're presentable?" she asked her light blue haired captain.

About to nod her head yes- but realizing it would hurt- Kuroko was about to answer when the person they were talking about barged into the room.

"Kaa-chan!" Kiyoshi cried as he grabbed his mothers' legs.

A bit startled- her mind still being affected by the strong medicine she had taken- Kurokos' startled look was soon replaced by a relieved and warm smile.

"Teppei-kun, good evening. How were you with Uncle Kagami?" Kuroko asked her son.

"…it was okay…" he said.

"Did you eat supper yet?"

"No. Can I eat with you, kaa-chan?" asked a teary eyed Kiyoshi.

Smiling tenderly at him, she answered him with a 'Yes.'

Making their way down the stairs- Aida on Kurokos' right in order to help her in case she slipped, Kiyoshi in front and Nigou who had finally woken up by her feet- the four made their way to the inns' restaurant. Kuroko was _extremely_ hungry- and that's saying something! She guessed it was because she was low on energy. She guessed correctly.

After reaching the dining area and answering questions that her crew bombarded her with, Kuroko sat down with Kiyoshi on her right this time, wanting to hold his mothers' hand. Kagami let Nigou out so that the dog could do his business and also stretch his limbs. Mitobe had been allowed in the kitchen and had cooked something that he knew would raise everyone's spirits and give his captain the energy she needed in order to properly heal.

An hour later and everyone was back in their own room, getting ready for bed. Akashi and his crew had joined them a half-hour later in the dining room, apparently having had a meeting of sorts to tell his crew some important matters. All of them- except Akashi- had stared at Kuroko the rest of dinner. She didn't know why though. After having brushed her teeth and waited for Kiyoshi to finish doing the same, she made her way back into her bed, using her good arm to pull her son up with her.

Upon hearing a light scratching noise at the door, followed by a puppy whimper, Kuroko got back up and opened the door, not really expecting the site that met her eyes.

Akashi was holding Nigou up, having remembered the dog before he went up to go to bed. He would've allowed the dog to follow him at his feet or go on ahead of him, but the inn didn't like the idea of an animal running around their establishment, so he picked him up.

Stepping aside for Akashi to enter, Kuroko went back to her bed and got under the covers alongside her son, feeling Nigou making his way to her head, getting comfortable himself. She didn't expect Akashi to also climb in. Flinching away a bit, a warm arm wrapped over and around her middle, her head being lead to another arm.

"It's okay now, you can rest Tetsuki," Akashi said.

Loosening up a bit, Kuroko rested her head against Akashis' arm, facing his chest which had a dark red shirt covering it- thankfully. Kiyoshi snuggled up to his mothers' chest, wanting to hear her heartbeat. He couldn't let go of the fear that he had experienced, seeing his mother in such bad shape. He quickly fell asleep, Kurokos' heartbeat lulling him to sleep. Nigou moved a bit, getting comfortable again.

Soon Kuroko was asleep as well, having taken another dose of her medicine at supper. Akashi studied her face for a moment, pleased when it was peaceful and not in pain. He turned out the lamp on his other side and fell asleep.

This is how things went on for the entire week. Kuroko had gotten a bit of a fever, so she needed constant care and attention. It was a Saturday again and the next day Kuroko would be going to the doctor in town to check her options. She could only hope for the best.

…..

Finished chapter 8! Yay! Next chapter will probably be an omake of what Akashi and his crew discussed before going down for supper…Hopefully it'll be a little funny. Thanks for reading this chapter! **Please review! It doesn't matter if you have an account or not! I still appreciate the reviews you guys give me!**


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction of mine! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter and that this chapter is funny…at least a little bit…Anyways, enjoy!

Oh, and to the reviewer that said that the rescue scene was rushed…I definitely get what you're talking about, but I don't really like gore all that much; also, I honestly couldn't think of another way to get the two groups together other than that. Besides, this is Akashi we're talkin bout! He does the extraordinary! Well, thanks a bunch for leaving your review! Don't hesitate to leave reviews! I do read them! Why do you think I always say, **Please review**? Because I wanna know what you all think about it! So, yeah, onto the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 9: Omake- You Better Obey Akashi!

"_It's warm…"_ Akashi thought as he woke up. Seeing how the sunlight was filtering in, Akashi guessed that he had gone back to sleep for five or so hours. Wondering where the warmth was coming from, Akashi noticed that a foot was in his face. A rather small foot.

_Snap_

You could practically hear the vein popping on Akashis' forehead. Somehow, while he hadn't really moved much in his sleep, Kiyoshi had managed to move so that his head was resting below his mothers' neck, with him lying sideways so that his feet ended up in Akashis' face and on his chest.

"Oof!" Akashi grunted out as all of a sudden, Kiyoshi kicked in his sleep…or was he stomping?

Before any more movement could be made by the little one, Akashi swiftly grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, stood up and made his way to the door. Roughly opening it, not caring if he accidentally hit a little old lady in the face with the door (he didn't), he closed it softly before storming off to find a room where he could throw the kid in- as long as there were people from Kurokos' crew. He wasn't going to be _too_ cruel and send the kid to his innocent crew members.

"_Though maybe if I put him with Momoi, he might learn his lesson,"_ Akashi thought with a devious smirk before it faded into a scowl. _"Nope, he'd get spoiled instead."_

Sighing, Akashi opened the first door that he noticed- well, kicked it open. And who would just so happen to be sleeping in that room than the tanned redhead who had caught the kid the other day? Yep, Akashi had found the _perfect _room to drop the sleeping kid off. He decided to be nice and put the kid on the comfiest looking chair- Kuroko would definitely NOT be happy with him if she found out that her son had been killed in his sleep by another sleeping person.

He shivered at the thought. Shivered? Akashi? No…really? Yep. Whatever…

Closing the door after he thought the kid would be comfortable enough, Akashi made his way to where the male part of his crew was sleeping. Kicking the door open again, Akashi made a short, low whistling sound. Everybody- even lazy Aomine- was up and out of their bed, standing to attention for their captain that they both admired and feared.

Ignoring the looks of annoyance Aomine was sending him because of his unwanted wake-up call, Akashi cleared his throat.

"As you have all been wondering why we were following the smaller pirate ship since our last island, I feel that now is the only time that we'll be able to have an uninterrupted discussion. Momoi already knows, so there is no need to wake her up to tell her again. Any complaints so far? No? Good. Well then, it's not that I wished to follow Seirin specifically, just that I wished to follow a certain individual-,"

"OH! It's that blue haired girl, right, Akashi? It was surprising when you jumped in and saved her…Is she the 'individual' that you've been following for the past five years or is she-," Aomine was cut off as he received a particularly hard glare from Akashi, who, to say the least, was _not_ pleased to have been interrupted in his story.

"Excuse my rudeness," Aomine apologized while he got down on one knee, bowing his head in shame…or was it contempt?

"As I was saying before Daiki saw fit to interrupt me and to answer his question, yes, Kuroko Tetsuki- the captain of Seirin- is the blue haired girl who was treated yesterday evening and she is also the one that I have been following since five years ago. Though I can't actually pinpoint just _why_ I feel the need to follow her, still, I feel as though if I don't, she'll disappear. Can't have that happening, now can I?" Akashi asked, though everybody knew that it was more of a rhetorical question, meaning they still need to keep their mouths shut.

After about a minute passed though, Kise could no longer stand the tense silence that had placed itself in the room.

"Ne, Akashicchi? Could it be that you…like this Kuroko person?"

"Ryouta, didn't I just say that I'm not sure?" Akashi asked.

"SORRY!" Kise apologized.

"Tsk, tsk…Ryouta, should we go through _that_ training again? Or do you think that you won't make that mistake again?" Akashi threatened.

Instantly, Kise clammed up and shook his head no. He wished to still be able to speak by the end of the day, thank you. Kise shuddered at the mere _thought_ of the training Akashi had made him go through in order to keep silent and listen to orders. It's not as though Akashi hates his crew- just that sometimes they need to work on certain things.

Midorima, knowing his captain well enough, silently nodded his head in confirmation to his captain that he had heard what his captain had said. Murasakibara was still too sleepy to really understand what was going on- heck, he was too sleepy to even by _hungry_! Aomine simply grunted, not really pleased with having been interrupted from his sleep _and_ when he was talking- even though he interrupted his captain first.

Basically, when you spend time with Akashi- whether as a shipmate or not- you learn to _**never**_ disobey whatever it is that Akashi demands. If you wish to live, you will obey Akashi!

…

Later that day, as they were all filing downstairs to eat something for supper, they all stopped- except Akashi who kept walking to the kitchen in order to order something for himself in order to eat.

"_So that's our future vice-captain, huh?"_ Kise, Aomine, Murasakibara and Midorima thought as they stared at Kuroko.

"Achoo!" Kuroko sneezed.

"Captain/kaa-chan, are you okay?" her crew and son asked.

"I'm fine. It just feels as though people are staring at me or talking about me…" Kuroko said with a slight shudder that went unnoticed by all save for Akashi, who immediately glared at the four staring, sending jolts of fear through their spines. They quickly turned their heads away, casting sideways glances every now and then.

…

Woo-hoo! I think it got a little funny at the end…sorry, but I can't really write humor really well…but I tried! I tried my best! I hope you all enjoyed the little omake I made! **Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction of mine! I hope that you'll continue to find it entertaining enough to give some of your time and read it!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 10: What Does the Doctor Say?

Sunday. The day when Kuroko would learn about what could or could not be done for her injured arm. That morning Akashi had told her that they could always just travel around until they find a different doctor who could heal her arm back into a usable condition. Still, Kuroko couldn't help but feel nervous. Both her entire crew and Akashis' entire crew were outside the building- that includes Kiyoshi and Nigou. Akashi is the only other one with her in the doctors' office.

Even though Kuroko doesn't really show emotion on her face, some emotions actually _were_ showing on her face, even though she tried to keep them at bay. Pain, for one, was clearly showed on her face because after the week of constant bed rest and not putting pressure on her injured left shoulder and arm, simply sitting as upright as possible was a pain. Worry was another emotion showing on her usually deadpanned face- worrying about whether or not she'd be able to use her arm again and, if she couldn't, how she'd be able to protect any of her crewmates at all. Fear showed as well- fear of **not** being able to protect anyone and fear of what her life would be like if her arm was amputated. Shaking such disturbing thoughts from her head, and sending a fresh jolt of pain down and back up her neck thanks to the injury, Kuroko focused her attention back on the doctor.

She didn't notice the worried look Akashi was giving her- after all, he knows that she isn't one to show much emotion. For her to show such emotions could only mean that she was truly scared. However, he wasn't sure if she was scared of having her arm amputated or if she was scared of him. He saw a few beads of sweat drip off her pained face, making him worry more. At the tone of the doctor, however, he only felt rage stir in him.

"I'm sorry Kuroko-san. But the only thing that we can do for you is amputate your arm. Also, this island is a peaceful one, so having pirates on it isn't exactly settling for the villagers…" the doctor said.

"Please, doctor, are you absolutely sure that you can't do anything at all?" Kuroko pleaded.

"Like I've been saying for the past hour, either you get your arm amputated or-," but Akashi interrupted, no longer able to take the doctor and his useless ramblings.

"I do believe that you are capable of doing something more for her, _doctor_, but you are simply too scared to go against the villagers," Akashi accused.

"What are you accusing me of?!" the doctor demanded, his face reddening out of anger and embarrassment.

"Heh, you think that I didn't hear you speaking with the village chief over the phone? Pathetic excuse for a human," Akashi growled.

A little stunned and starting to get sleepy once again thanks to the pain, Kuroko was about to say something when she felt herself being picked up.

"Akashi-san?! What are you-," Kuroko started to ask, though she refrained from struggling not wanting to further injure herself or have Akashi place his rage on her- not that he would ever do that, but she doesn't know that…yet.

"Sorry Tetsuki. It seems I misjudged this entire island. Let's go now and leave before I lose my patience," Akashi told Kuroko, shooting a glare at the older doctor.

The doctor flinched, something that made Akashi smirk. _"No matter where I go, it's all the same…"_ Akashi thought as he carried Kuroko and himself out of the doctors' building and onto the street where he saw villagers were gathering around with guns.

"Che, typical…" Akashi tsked.

"Get out of here!"

"Leave us alone!"

"Go away, you lowlifes!"

Villagers started screaming insult after insult as soon as they saw Akashi and Kuroko leave the doctors' building. Though he was used to it, it still angered him to no end. Thankfully, he had seen this coming and had made sure that everyone had already packed up and had readied their ships. Kagami and Murasakibara were the only others that had stayed, waiting for their captains to come out so that they could guard them. Even Nigou knew that he would slow them down, so he had left for the ship as well. Mitobe and Murasakibara had bought some more necessary supplies the day before as well as that entire week. Akashi had bought something as well, though nobody knew what.

"Come on, we should leave now if you don't want to further aggravate your captains' injuries," Akashi told Kagami, though he was also telling Murasakibara something with his eyes. _"Don't let the villagers touch us, Atsushi."_

Murasakibara and Kagami nodded, immediately running behind the now running Akashi. Dodging bullets and fruits thrown their way, the group of four made it to their ships, though Akashi brought Kuroko to his own ship. Not wanting to start a fight now, the Seirin crew immediately pushed away from the dock, catching a wind that had conveniently blown by just then. Teikou did the same and both their ships were well away from the island in a matter of minutes.

Not wanting to lose their beloved captain, Riko screamed, "Give us back our captain!"

Akashi replied back with a glare, "Follow us and soon enough you'll get your captain back. For now she's better off being here with us-," though Kuroko stopped him when she shook herself out of his grasp. In one quick movement, Kuroko jumped off of the edge of the ship, using the wind to her advantage. Kagami caught her, carefully avoiding her injury.

To say that Akashi was stunned wouldn't be an understatement at all. He just hadn't expected his Kuroko to still have that strength left in her. Regaining his composure quickly though, he shouted again, "Follow us if you wish to use your left arm ever again, Tetsuki!"

This definitely caught Kurokos' attention and she simply nodded yes towards Akashi. Akashi felt relieved at this, pleased that Kuroko had enough sense to go with whoever could make her better whilst still being wary.

Kiyoshi ran up to his mother and hugged her legs, with Nigou barking in happiness that his owner was safe and sound. Kuroko smiled before she felt herself falling.

Akashi had seen the slight sway of Kurokos' body and quickly jumped over to Seirins' ship. They were only about ten feet away from each other still, so Akashi decided that he would stay with Kuroko, even on her ship. He _had_ gotten something for her and he intended to give it to her before they reached land again.

Akashi quickly scooped Kuroko up into his warm and protective embrace again- not that Kuroko was thinking that. Nope, absolutely not.

Everyone was startled…well, everyone but Kuroko- who had fainted- and Akashi who was holding Kuroko. Nigou growled a bit, but Kiyoshi only whimpered and asked, "Is kaa-chan alright?"

Knowing that he is still only a child and that even though he's a child he loved Kuroko greatly, Akashi sighed and said, "No she is not. She needs to rest, so if you want to sleep with her for a nap right now, you'll need to be quiet. Who can show me where her room is?" Akashi asked the still gawking crew.

Riko was the first to respond and quickly said, "I do! I'll show you there."

With that, the group of five- Akashi, Kuroko, Nigou, Kiyoshi and Riko- left for the captains' quarters.

A minute and twenty-seven seconds later, Kuroko was under the blankets of her bed with Kiyoshi snuggling up to her. Nigou took his place by her head and Akashi looked around the room. It _is_ his first time in a girls' room after all- not to mention his first time seeing Kurokos' room. He was pleased, not impressed though, as he saw that Kuroko was a girl that was organized. Everything had a place and was appropriately in place. Finally, he fixed his gaze on Kuroko again, taking in her sleeping face and committing it to memory. He never wanted to forget such a peaceful face.

After a few minutes of his staring- no, he's not a perv- Kuroko started to stir, wincing every now and then in pain. When her eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the lighting, Kuroko stared back at Akashi with her usual expressionless face.

"Is there something you want, Akashi-san?" Kuroko asked.

Riko had been told by Akashi to leave them alone and she had obeyed, though a little reluctantly.

"Actually, yes Tetsuki. You see, I got you a present and I'd like for you to start using it immediately," Akashi answered.

As he was talking, he reached into the pouch that was tied around his waist and pulled out a white piece of cloth. It had a flowery design to it and it was rather large. Walking over to Kurokos' bedside, Akashi gently pulled the covers back from Kurokos' left side and helped her to sit up.

Motioning for her to move her neck to the left, Akashi tied the cloth around her neck and around her left arm, thereby giving her a sling for her arm. The cloth was very soft and it didn't hurt her, so Kuroko smiled a small smile and said a quiet 'thank you' to Akashi.

Giving her one of his own rare small smiles, Akashi said, "This is my gift to you. At the moment, this is what it can best be used for. I hope that we'll be able to find a good doctor for you, Tetsuki."

After he finished speaking, he pressed a light kiss to her forehead, smiling, and smirking a little, in amusement as he saw her face blush. Against such pale skin, the redness of the blush looked like the cousin of the tomato.

"…"

"Well then, go back to sleep, Tetsuki. I'll wake you up when you need to be woken up," Akashi commanded.

Though Kuroko didn't want to make him feel smug, the blush that had come out on her face refused to go away and she didn't wish for him to keep on staring at her, so she nodded. Settling back down, she was surprised that she felt so sleepy. In a few seconds, she was sound asleep.

After making doubly sure that Kuroko was indeed asleep, Akashi let his own blush come out on his face. Some steam even seemed to be making its' way from his ears. He had _definitely_ NOT meant to kiss her forehead like that. Though he couldn't deny that it somehow felt…right. Shrugging the feeling off and composing himself, Akashi left Kurokos' room. He could hear the noisy chatter and complaints of her crew and he couldn't help but wonder why she had chosen such a strange bunch of people for her crew. Though he wasn't really one to talk…

…

Hope you guys liked this chapter! I ended up adding fluff…oh well, who doesn't like a good fluff? If you feel like their escape was too easy or fast, well, I have plans for this story! And I wanna get those plans down in writing soon! So here's the 10th chapter! **Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfic of mine! I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 11: Travelling Partners

72. Seventy-two. That's how many hours the two crews had been travelling on the open sea. In even simpler terms, they had been travelling for three days straight. Though Akashi wasn't one who really believed in rumors, he had heard one that proved to be rather helpful in two aspects. The first- getting Kuroko Tetsuki into his clutches. The second- finding a doctor that might be able to help Kurokos' injured left arm. Even though it had been a long- and annoying- three days, Akashi knew that they were all close to the island in the south. After all, they had gotten a good wind- that wind had infinitely lessened their travel time.

Akashi had left his ship to keep an eye on Kuroko. His crew could take care of themselves. He had the utmost trust in Murasakibara to make sure everyone ate healthy food and in Midorima that nobody got injured doing stupid things- mainly Kise and Aomine from sparring. He also had great trust and faith in Momoi for steering the ship in the direction it needed to go. Hence, when their ships got separated by rocks that stretched above the sea level Akashi wasn't worried about how his crew would fare. He had made sure to tell Momoi where they were going.

Also, since Kuroko was practically forced by her crew mates into resting most of the time, the Seirin crew needed somebody to guide them to their destination. Akashi named himself acting captain- much to the annoyance of the crew. However, Akashi being who he is and being someone who _never_ falters, he didn't let anyone discourage him. More like, if any of them had enough courage, he glared at them, officially sending their courage packing.

Well, now that it was the fourth day, Akashi was less impatient then before- which was good news for Seirin. However, he knew that the waters in this part could be _very_ choppy- not to mention all the rocks that were hidden by the mist. Akashi was extremely confident in himself and he knew that he could steer clear of any danger no problem. The real problem lied in the crew- Kagami had helped to fire up the small crews spirits and, in the process, had made all of them even more unwilling to listen to the Teikou captain.

Akashi could do practically everything, but he couldn't be in multiple places at the same time. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed their help. Otherwise, they were all going to find themselves at the bottom of the ocean, sleeping with the fishes or getting eaten by them. There was _absolutely NO WAY_ he was going to let the stupid crew endanger _his_ Kurokos' life.

Wait a minute- that's right. Even though Kuroko can't use her left arm at the moment, she should have enough strength in her _right_ arm to man the wheel! With that thought in mind, Akashi yelled out, "_Tetsuki!_"

A minute later Kuroko was standing in front of Akashi- well, next to him since he was still manning the wheel.

"Do you think you can take care of the steering?" Akashi asked a slightly annoyed Kuroko.

"Yes, Akashi-san. Do you think that you could stop calling me so informally?" Kuroko asked back somewhat sarcastically.

Smirking a bit, Akashi replied, "No can do, Te~tsu~ki~."

Looking at him for a second with a deadpanned expression, Kuroko nudged him out of the way with her right shoulder. She had been forcibly cooped up for three days already. _Three days!_ How could anybody expect her to just silently accept that? She's the captain! She has a right to walk about and stretch her limbs!

Blinking once upon seeing her surroundings, Kuroko shot Akashi a questioning glance.

"Might I ask as to why we are travelling through such a hazardous area, Akashi-san?"

"We're making such a dangerous trip in order to reach an island in the south. There's a doctor there that might be able to help you," Akashi answered.

Her eyes slightly widening, Kuroko muttered out an inaudible 'oh'.

"I'll take care of the sails. Pretty soon we're going to have to paddle our way through here," Akashi stated.

Nodding slightly in agreement, Kuroko let out a shrill whistle, effectively getting her crew out from the inside of the ship and in front of her, though on the lower deck.

"Everyone, get to your positions. Also, Kagami, quit making it hard for Akashi-san! Without him, we'd undoubtedly be lost right now! Get the paddles- quickly!" Kuroko commanded her crew.

She had left Nigou to watch over Kiyoshi while the boy slept. After all, she was well aware of the fact that Kiyoshi always stayed up at night, watching over her. Kuroko couldn't help but smile to herself at the sweet boy she had gotten for a son. She could only hope that he thought of her as a good mother.

Shaking her head free of those thoughts, Kuroko focused on the task at hand. She wanted to avoid damaging her ship, if she could help it. She knew that her crew was of the same thought. Looking up, she saw Akashi rolling up the sails, securing them by fastening them to the mast. She couldn't help the curious glances that she shot at him every now and then. Though, when she was pretty sure that he had seen her, she refrained from doing so again.

_Cre~ak. Thud. Splash!_

Those were the only sounds that Kuroko focused on. The splashing was being made by her ship, as well as loose rock fragments that had fallen in the salty water. The thudding sound was most likely being made by the ship as well, after it had made it over a more shallow area. The creaking noise though…she guessed that this was where the paddles came into play.

"Kagami! Tsuchida! Oi, guys! Get the paddles in the water and steer us clear of the rocks!" Kuroko shouted.

"Hai, captain!" they shouted back.

Immediately Kuroko was grateful for voicing her command. If they had been a second later, their ship would've gotten a very bad crack in its' body. They'd be sinking by now. The rest of the way through that tight area was very long and tense. Everybody knew that if they responded and acted a little late, their ship, including themselves, would sink. It's times like these that make them all extremely grateful for having a captain like Kuroko.

Sure, it helps to have Izuki on the look-out. But Kuroko is so much better. Even before Izuki can spot something with his Eagle Eye, Kuroko notices the smallest of details. Sometimes it can be a pain in the butt for Kagami whenever they have to clean the ship, but he's always grateful in the end.

During the rest of the way through, everybody was silent- even Nigou and Kiyoshi- who had woken up at the first 'creak' and had sneaked up onto the deck. After what seemed like hours, but was actually just forty-seven minutes, the Seirin ship saw the sunlight again.

They had done it! They freed themselves from the confines of that rocky darkness. It's a good thing too. Kuroko- though nobody but Akashi could tell- was starting to sway, even while gripping the wheel. Immediately Akashi shouted out, "Someone release the sails!"

In less than a second, Akashi had jumped from the mast to where Kuroko was about to fall. Fortunately, he caught her before she could hurt her arm any further.

Sighing a bit in relief- or exasperation, Akashi isn't really sure-, Akashi picked Kuroko up and carried her back to her room, setting her down on her bed again. Nigou and Kiyoshi had silently crept along behind him, though he already knew they were there. As soon as the covers were over her, Kiyoshi joined his mother with Nigou at her head. Shaking his head a bit at how they always did their job of taking care of Kuroko, Akashi headed back up. After all, who else on this ship besides him knew the way to the southern island? Nobody.

The rest of the way to the isle was spent in silence, only a few words escaping Akashis' mouth every now and then to shout out commands. In a little over two hours, the Teikou ship could be seen. In thirty minutes, the two ships were once again side by side. Shouting insults at each other, the travelling ships had unknowingly come closer to the island in question. Akashi had kept silent, smirking every now and then when his crew said something that effectively shut Kurokos' crew up.

He kept a wary eye out. This area, although it appeared peaceful, was filled with hiding pirates. He could hear them. He could practically _feel_ their smirks. Hah, they thought that they'd take over the Teikou pirates and Seirin? Well, maybe they'd defeat Seirin, but Teikou? They must be a bunch of wannabes.

Akashi mentally sighed. They would defeat the random pirates. Though, just as soon as they'd be about to defeat them, they'd surrender. It didn't really matter to Akashi. He'd just kill them all off anyways. Akashi was soon brought from this thoughts.

_BOOM! FSH!_

As soon as the cannon left its' holder, it whizzed right by both ships.

"_Apparently they aren't very good at aiming,"_ Akashi mused.

As soon as he heard the next cannon fire, he saw a blur of blue.

_SSSH._

Akashis' visible red eye widened in surprise. He hadn't been expecting Kuroko to come out of nowhere and slice the cannonball in half. But she did. She really does care about her crew.

Kuroko had felt that something was amiss. She wasn't actually sleeping. More like she was testing out her acting skills. Kuroko had been a bit tired, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Though now, she was glad that she had taken a short powernap. It had restored her energy. She was also glad that she had made it in time. She knew the tactic that the other pirate ship was using- make others believe that they aren't worth their time and then swoop in for the kill. Kuroko doubted that Akashi wasn't aware of it as well.

"_Well, always being victorious has its' setbacks after all,"_ Kuroko thought.

Landing on top of the crows nest, Kuroko made a signal. 'Prepare for battle!' Everybody- except the Teikou crew, even Akashi- knows what it means. Kuroko had made sure, with Aidas' help, to pound into her crew the fact that they should _never_ underestimate their opponents. If they do, it could result in their untimely demise.

Immediately, every Seirin pirate ran to their positions- Hyuuga taking control of the cannon; Izuki in the crows nest checking every direction; Koganei and Tsuchida getting the guns and ammunitions; Aida thinking of an escape plan; Kagami and the other three helping Hyuuga by gathering their cannon balls; Mitobe going below deck to take care of Kiyoshi and Nigou- he isn't really much of a fighter-; and finally, Kuroko- taking control of the wheel.

"Yosh! We're making it to that island no matter what! Prepare for battle!" Kuroko shouted.

Everyone part of the Seirin crew knew that whenever their captain said, "No matter what," she meant it. They could only wait for the oncoming battle.

…

Muwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! A cliffy! And a basically filler chapter. -_- Sorry for the filler-ish-ness. Just another one of those chapters that has to be made in order to continue on. I hope that the next chapter will provide some humor and enjoyment! **Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfic of mine! I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it! Also, sorry for my switching between spellings for Teiko…or is it Teikou? This confuses me to no end!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 12: Let The Battle Begin! Wait, Where Are You Going?!

Well…THIS was unexpected. Both the Teiko and Seirin captains and their crews stared wide-eyed. Apparently, the Seirin crews' fame went much farther than they thought. As soon as the opposing ship had come within easy shooting range- not that Hyuuga or Midorima _couldn't_ shoot, it's just that being closer to the enemy would give them less time to try and run away, thus making it easier to shoot their ship and finish off the fight- the enemy ship hightailed it out of there! Both the Seirin and Teiko crew had clearly heard the enemy crews' threats…but to see them wimping out as soon as they were close enough to deal serious damage was just bewildering.

"_Are you telling me that they didn't even _try _to see who they were aiming at?!"_ both crews and captains simultaneously thought.

Sighing at the clear lack of manliness the other ship was sporting, Akashi and Kuroko kept their ships going in their intended direction- to the island that just might be housing a doctor that can help Kuroko.

"Ahem…alright guys, even though they've run away, we can't slack off! They just might use that as an opportunity to strike!" Kuroko shouted to her crew.

Meanwhile, over with Teiko…

"_I doubt that they'll come looking for us again…after all, we ARE the Teiko pirates' main crew…they probably ran because they finally saw us through all that fog and mist,"_ the Teiko crew thought.

Back with Seirin…

Obviously, Kuroko knows better than to underestimate an opponent- hence why her and her crew never treat their battles as games but rather as life or death matches. However, if you absolutely wish to know whether or not the evil pirate crew tried to go against them again…then no, they didn't. In fact, they ended up getting caught in a whirlpool- surrounded by very sharp, pointy and jagged rocks. In the end, they ended up sleeping with the fishes because of their very haphazard escape route. They really should've hid in the shadows better- they might've lived.

I can see that we're getting off track of our original story. So, back to where we were…

Anyways, after rowing- they had tied up the sails- inch by agonizing slow inch out into the open and seeing no signs of the other pirate ship, Kuroko and Akashi eventually put their sails back down and rode the good wind that had passed by all the rest of the way to the island.

They were incredibly close actually. Only about 15ish minutes. After they had decided and agreed upon a safe hiding place for their ships- you should've seen the debate between Kuroko and Akashi- they let their anchors fall into the water before they followed suit of leaving the ship and jumping onto the warm sand of the southern, tropical isle.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kuroko looked up at the clear blue sky- a mirror image of her own eyes. Kiyoshi had been taken into Kagamis' arms in order to leave the ship safely. Nigou had simply latched onto Kurokos' head. Now that they were free of any danger, at least from what she could see, Kuroko decided to quickly check the outer damage of her ship. Taking a step into the crystal clear waters- waters that only became murky when someone upset the sand beneath it- she was surprised a bit at how warm the water felt. Then again, it was shallow enough where she was standing for the sun to easily warm the little amount of surface water up. Walking then wading waist deep into the waters, Kuroko was still too far to clearly see her ship. She took another step before gentle arms snaked around her waist, pulling her completely out of the water.

"Relax, Tetuski. Satsuki saw your ship up close already- there's nothing to worry about. Besides, that Hyuuga of yours and my own Shintarou are keeping guard over our ships," Akashi stated in a slightly aggravated voice.

Kuroko simply pouted. _"Dang…I got caught…"_

Reading her thoughts quickly, Akashi sighed and said, "Do you really want to hurt yourself so badly to the point where you can't even use your left arm? Do you really want it to be amputated? I could do the amputation myself," Akashi said with a sadistic smirk.

Kuroko slightly paled at that and quickly shook her head in an affirmative _NO_.

Smirking in victory, Akashi started wading through the water back to the shore. He wasn't exactly thrilled that he got wet all the way up to his waist and that the water in Kurokos' shorts was being absorbed by his shirt. He was brought back from his glaring at the water wetting his shirt by a rather distinct sound.

_Cough cough. COUGH COUGH!_

"_Wait, why is Tetsuki coughing? She didn't go under water…if she had, she should be cooler and yet…no way! It can't be!"_ Akashi thought even as he ran the rest of the way to the shore, not caring if he got wet all the way through.

"Oi, Tetsuki! Oi!" Akashi called out to Kuroko.

Obviously with the noisy running and the sound of their captains' coughing, everyone had noticed them coming and instantly wore worried expressions on their faces.

"Captain!" the Seirin crew shouted.

"Arff arff!"

"Kaa-chan…? Kaa-chan?!"

"Akashi-san, your hand feels cool," Kuroko slurred.

After years of experience, Akashi was quick to order Momoi to go and get some herbs from their ship, with Aomine carrying her in order to get there faster.

She was burning up.

Kuroko Tetsuki, Captain of the Seirin Pirates, was burning up.

With a fever.

…

When they had first reached the island, it was around one in the afternoon. Right now, it was closer to six in the evening. Momoi was quick to make the special herb tea that was required in order to start helping Kuroko to get better. Sure, it tasted like crap and sure, that was almost enough to kill Kuroko right when she drank it, but it did its' job. She started to cool down again to a more normal body temperature.

Feeling relief wash over them, everyone in the Seirin crew looked at the sleeping form of their captain- or did she faint? Oh well, they couldn't deny that while having Momoi- a widely known poison maker- make their captain something- even if it was for her health- didn't worry them. They'd like their captain to be _alive_, not _dead_.

Fortunately, the Seirin pirates have a person like Aida, so they were able to act their age- most of them-, toughen up and watch as their captain was given medicine by girl who could _accidentally_ kill her.

Later, when they saw the sky darkening prematurely- signaling that a storm was coming- Akashi picked Kuroko up into his arms again and started walking off in the direction of what the others _hoped_ would be a village. They walked through a bit of a jungle, nothing really bad- no dangerous animals or insects or plants- and in less than ten minutes, they were all staring wide-eyed at the 'village' in front of them. Who knew that they'd walk right to a cave entrance…

Being the first to move again, Akashi just kept on walking into the cave until it was too dark where he was for the others still outside to see him. Nigou was the second to move followed shortly after by Kiyoshi. Knowing that their captain was in there, the rest of the Seirin crew walked into the cave as well as the rest of the Teiko crew. The resounding barks of Nigou were the only things that kept them all moving in the right direction. After what seemed like hours- but was really only a minute- all of them could see that a light was coming towards them.

"What took you guys so long? Tetsuki is already having the doctor examine her, you know," Akashi said.

Hearing their captains' name and 'doctor' in the same sentence quickened the paces of Seirin. Rounding the corner, they were all of a sudden in a HUGE room- well…cave. What Akashi had said was true, of course. Kuroko was lying on her back, still passed out, on a bed that was made out of…leaves? Yeah, that's right! The people that live in these caves make their bedding from leaves. They then put some type of heavy material over it so that the leaves wouldn't agitate their skin. It is very resourceful of them to do so. Besides, the scents that the leaves give off make one have a restful sleep.

The doctor had looked up at that point, seeing- well, _hearing_ to be precise- the others enter his abode. He was the first to speak, startling everyone in the room except for Nigou, Kiyoshi, Akashi and the still unconscious Kuroko.

"I see that travelling the wide open expanses of the ocean has given you trouble this time, young ones. From what Akashi has told me, Kuroko was attacked by a shark, is that right?" the doctor asked for confirmation.

He got it when Aida spoke up, saying, "Yes, doctor, she was bitten on her left shoulder and left arm."

Nodding to let them know he had heard, he spoke once more.

"As you may or may not have noticed by now, I am blind. My blindness is due to my own foolishness of trying to live on water. However, this has helped me to help others when in times of great distress. She was stitched up by a doctor from another island, I hear. Well, regardless of your choice of occupation, I will not turn away a person in need. For now, just let her rest herself so that this fever of hers goes from her soon. When she is better, I will then take a good look at her injury. Well then, please excuse me," and with his short speech, the doctor got up and went into another room.

Everyone could only stare. What else could they do? It was _clearly_ pouring outside the cave right now. Upon seeing everybody looking confused, Akashi sighed at their lack of observing skills and said, "The doctor was kind enough to arrange beds for us as well. Everyone, go to a bed, get some rest and we'll see what to do in the morning."

With that, everyone went to the now seeable beds and instantly fell asleep.

Kiyoshi had already snuggled next to his mothers' side and Nigou had already taken his place by her head. Akashi came over, removed his boots and slid under the warm covers next to his Kuroko. Being careful so as to not aggravate her injured arm, Akashi put his right arm under her head to act as support. He also, albeit unwillingly, put his right arm around Kiyoshi so that Kiyoshi wouldn't wake everybody up in the middle of the night crying. Content with his position and the warmth quickly claiming his mind for sleep, Akashi welcomed that which is known as LaLa Land.

He could only hope that everything would be alright for Kuroko.

…..

Yay! I finished another chapter! I hope you liked this chapter. **Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfic of mine! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter! Oh, and as for last chapters' enemies, remember the episode where Kise, Kuroko and Kagami beat these 5 guys at streetball and then the Inter High? Those are the enemies. Just thought I'd let ya know in case it was bugging ya. :3

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 13: What Does The Doctor Say?

The next morning when they woke, the rain had stopped. They actually would've kept on sleeping if not for the reverberating sound of the cave-villagers' feet. They heard shouting about making sure to pick up some herbs and other plants.

"_They must be getting their breakfast now that the rain has stopped,"_ Akashi thought.

It would be more precise to say that Akashi was the only one awake. Momoi had fixed everyone that _had_ woken up some of her…specialty tea, successfully knocking them all out except for Akashi, Kuroko, Nigou and Kiyoshi. Akashi refused to let that deadly stuff anywhere _near_ him or his Kuroko. He decided to be nice and protect the dog and brat too.

After waiting for the noisiness to die down until he was sure they were all outside the cave, Akashi slowly got up. That's when he noticed a bit of pressure around his middle. Looking down, he smiled. Kurokos' head was on his stomach. He had forgotten about that. Carefully moving Kurokos' head off of him and onto the makeshift bed, Akashi crept as slowly as possible to the entrance of the cave they were all in.

Hearing some noise, albeit very quiet, outside the cave, Akashi got ready to have his dagger in hand should it be an enemy. He stopped getting ready to strike though when he recognized the scent of the person. It was the doctor!

"_He must have decided to come and get started on healing Tetsuki,"_ Akashi thought.

Hearing the light snores and slight rustle of the sheets, the doctor tapped his cane on the caves' floor- LOUDLY.

"UWAAHHHHH! I'M UP! I'M UP!" everybody- except Kuroko, Nigou, Akashi and Kiyoshi screamed.

Let's just say they regretted screeching so loudly in a cave that's very good at echoing.

The old doctor had seemed used to this sort of noise, so he simply smiled at the eardrum shattering sound. Kuroko started to stir, the annoying sound enough to pull her from the comforts of her sleep. Immediately Akashi was by her side, helping her to sit up properly. Kiyoshi simply turned over in his sleep with Nigou cradling his head. Giving Akashi a thankful look, Kuroko looked over at the doctor, completely missing the blush starting to color the redheads' cheeks.

"Well now, Kuroko-san, would you mind coming over to this chair to let me have a look at your arm?" the doctor questioned.

Nodding and getting up with Akashis' help, Kuroko wobbled over to the chair, still sleepy. After yawning a big ol' yawn, Kuroko sat down. The doctor chuckled a bit before saying, "Sorry if I woke you up, but I think that you'll thank me once I'm done."

All Kuroko could do was blink. Blink and sneeze.

"_ACHOO!"_

"Excuse you; now, Akashi-san, could you be a good young lad and help me pull Kuroko-sans' shirt up?" the doctor asked.

Akashi felt as though all the blood was rushing to his face. _"This old man completely lacks delicacy!"_

Clearing his throat, Akashi started to move Kurokos' shirt as well as the scarf he had gotten her. Now it was his turn to blink and blush at his previous thoughts. _"T-That's right! She wears a tank-top underneath!"_

The doctor moved a bit closer, resting his hands on the young bluenettes' arm. Carefully unwrapping the many bandages that were on it, he let them all fall to the caves' floor. Once again his hands were on her now uncovered left arm and shoulder. Moving them all over, the doctor found the stitches that traced Kurokos' upper left arm and shoulder area. After another minute of moving, the doctor seemed to have found what he was looking for and so he pressed. He was rewarded by a short, loud yelp from Kuroko.

"What are you doing, doctor?" Akashi asked in a dangerously low and calm tone.

"…" the doctor didn't say anything, but kept on pressing up and down Kurokos' stitches, resulting in many yelps of pain from the now fully awake Kuroko.

Akashi didn't look the tears that were pricking at her eyes. He was going to _kill_ this doctor if he didn't stop and- "Aha. Found it," the doctor said.

Not letting anyone get in his way and stop him, the doctor pulled a long, thin stick-like thing from his jacket type garment that he was wearing. Immediately and without warning, he plunged it into the unsuspecting girls' arm. A loud shout followed by whimpering are the noises that welcomed the doctors' well-trained ears. Akashi was quickly losing his patience, the last bit of it struggling to hold on but snapping upon seeing _his_ Kuroko crying.

Aomine and Kise, recognizing that look, immediately held him back from lunging at the doctor. Akashi was about to yell at them when he saw and heard Kuroko stop whimpering and crying. He started smiling in happiness upon seeing her wiggle her left arm around, worrying a bit when he saw her wince a bit when she tried to move her shoulder.

"There. All done. Rest for the day and I'll come back tomorrow, Kuroko-san. Akashi-san, if you would come with me for a moment," and with that, the old doctor left, shortly followed after by Akashi.

When they were in another cave room, the doctor spoke. "I realize that you were worrying about Kuroko-san while I was mending her. Don't ever forget that feeling of needing to protect her, Akashi-san."

"What are you sayi-," the doctor cut Akashi off and continued.

"I'm sure you already know, but Kuroko-san is one of the most fragile creatures on planet earth- she's a female, a woman, a lady, a girl. She'll be able to fully move her arm and shoulder in about a week. For now though, she can't put any stress on it or else it'll be even worse. It is your duty to protect her from harm and make sure that she doesn't reinjure herself," the doctor let out a soft sigh as he sat on a chair in the room.

Taking in the information, Akashi started to ask a question but was cut off midway.

"Oi, do you kno-,"

"Do I know that you like Kuroko-san? Hehehe, yes, I do. It's in the way you move around her and in the way you talk to her. It's hard to miss something so obvious, even if I'm old," the doctor chuckled a bit.

Blushing a bit at hearing someone say that his actions were obvious, Akashi shook his head in mock dismay. "Don't worry, doctor. I'll keep a close eye on her and make sure that she doesn't hurt herself any further."

After talking a bit more with the elderly man, Akashi made his way back to the room he and his crew along with Kuroko and her crew were staying in. He smiled upon seeing Kuroko back in their bed, sleeping peacefully with a slight smile gracing her lips. Akashi let himself get pulled under sleeps' forces, welcoming the calm darkness once more, happy that there was warmth next to him.

…

After about a week at the southern island, Kurokos' arm was fully healed. Her entire crew as well as her son and dog shouted- or barked- in happiness for her recovery. The only memory she had of the injury was the scar from the stitches that had come out a couple days after she had the initial healing process done on her. The scar was able to keep covered though by her long sleeve shirt. She also found a way to tie the scarf around it to look a bit more elegant and just to remind her that she should take it easy with that arm for a while.

She continuously thanked the doctor as well as the cave-villagers for their help and hospitality. The Teiko crew, rather, Kise, Momoi and Akashi were the only ones from their crew that thanked the people and doctor. It wasn't so bad- being kept at a remote island for a week. After all, both crews were able to gather many fruits and herbs for food and medicine- something that they could never get enough of.

At the start of the second week, Kuroko decided that it had been enough- they couldn't live off of the peoples' kindness forever, and Kuroko didn't like doing that. That day, Kuroko gathered her crew and went off to find the doctor. They didn't have to look far- he was just coming down to say his morning greetings.

"Doctor, thank you for your kindness that you have shown me and my crew. I am and always will be grateful to you. My crew shares my feelings as well. Truly, thank you for everything."

After saying that, the entire Seirin crew, even Kiyoshi, bowed deeply, with Nigou only keeping his hind legs straight in order to look like he was bowing too. Momoi, Kise and Akashi bowed as well, though Akashi didn't bow as low. After receiving some more gifts of fruit and medicinal herbs from the people as well as bandages from the doctor, both crews left the cave, promising that they'd come back someday in order to see how everyone else is doing.

This time it took them all only six minutes to reach their ships. Akashi gave Momoi instructions as well as Midorima before he hopped onto Seirins' ship. Everyone could only sigh at Akashis' actions. Who were they to stop a guy in love?

Kuroko, oddly enough, found herself appreciating his presence, though she had no clue as to why. Maybe because she felt indebted to him? No, that can't be it. What could it possibly be…

Setting troublesome thoughts aside, Kuroko gave her crew orders to watch out for enemy ships while she steered the ship towards a favorable wind. Akashi stood near to Kuroko who was manning the wheel. He couldn't help but find himself admiring her strength. She had almost lost her left arm because of a shark. Yet here she was, calmly steering her ship towards some unknown destination. Akashi also couldn't help the fact that he was looking at her with such kindness, warmth and- dare he say it- _love_ in his eyes. Of course Kuroko completely missed such emotions as she was focusing her eyesight on something ahead.

Akashi already knew of other islands in the surrounding area. True, the islands were few and far apart, but they were rather large. Deciding to simply keep watch over Kuroko, Akashi stepped back a bit so that he wasn't in Kurokos' line of sight.

"_Now, where will you decide to take us, Tetsuki?"_ Akashi thought.

Kuroko smiled to herself and, as if sensing the others' thoughts, said under her breath so that nobody caught it, "I don't know, Akashi-san. I don't know."

…

Wow! Look at that! Another chapter out in only 2 days this time! Woo-hoo! So, did you guys like this chapter? Did ya? **Please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfic of mine! I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 14: Where Are You Going?

Feeling much better than she had been for the past month, Kuroko stared out at the wide-open expanse that was covered in clear blue. Kuroko had seen the passing islands, but they held very little interest for her, which was, to say the least, unusual. _"Maybe it's because of Akashi-san…"_ Kuroko wondered.

She wasn't completely off on her guess. It _was_ partially because of how she kept on feeling his gaze on her that kept her from fully appreciating her surroundings like she normally does. It had been two days now since they had left the doctors' island. It had been perfect weather those past two days, much to the relief of the crews. The Teiko crew, surprisingly enough, had _no_ clue what their captain was thinking, as did the Seirin crew.

The annoying part of it is the fact that Akashi _knows_ that he's causing the Seirin captain distress and Kuroko knows that he knows- he's just doing it so that sooner or later he'll catch her off guard. Well, that's what she _thinks_. Akashi does know that he's bothering the bluenette, but he isn't doing it intentionally. He's simply trying to observe her to see what other types of emotions she is capable of showing on her face- not that he'd ever actually admit that a human has caught his interest. After all, how would he face his crew and tell them how he feels about Kuroko? He doesn't even know!

Sighing, Kuroko had decided that enough was _enough_. She called for Aida who took the wheel. Kiyoshi and Nigou were up in the crows nest with Koganei on the mast and Izuki in there with them. Grabbing Akashis' hand and missing the blush that exploded on his face, she dragged the Teiko captain to her room. She had to know what it was that was making him bother her. If she didn't find out soon, she's fairly certain that she'd go mad.

Getting behind him and pushing him none too gently into her room, she stepped in and closed and locked the wooden door behind her.

"Explain yourself, Akashi-san. What is it that you want to talk about?" Kuroko demanded.

Catching on as to what had made Kuroko act so rudely, so out of character as compared to her usual gentle and blank expression, Akashi smirked, thankful that Kuroko had pushed him- it helped get rid of his blush. "My, what could you possibly be talking about, Te~tsu~ki~?"

Glaring a bit, Kuroko bit back, "I know that you've been staring at me for the past two days NON-STOP! What is your problem?! If you don't like how I act as captain over my crew, then you can just-," Kuroko was cut off as something _warm_, _soft _and _moist_ pressed against her lips.

When Akashi heard what Kuroko was saying, no, _implying_ that he was unsatisfied with her captain-ship, he felt rage, anger and something…_painful_ tugging at his heart. Not wanting her to finish what she had to say, he finally decided on something that would successfully get her to be quiet for a bit- not to mention something that he's been wanting to do for a _looooooong_ time now.

Yep. He _kissed_ her.

He couldn't believe how warm, soft and inviting the others' lips were, but he indulged in it. He didn't know why, but for some reason it just felt…_right_ for them to be kissing. It was as if their lips were made for each other. He had closed his eyes when he went in for the kill, so upon opening them he felt himself smirking against Kurokos' slightly open lips.

Yep, she was stunned into silence.

Her eyes were as big as dinner plates, her irises seemingly small. Very slowly- actually, very quickly- a blush was spreading across her cheeks. Heck, her entire face was as pink as Momois' hair!

Kuroko couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that of all things and of all people, Akashi Seijuro, feared captain of the main Teiko crew was _kissing _her! And he was smirking now! Kuroko felt so embarrassed and used. Well, not really _used_, but like her first kiss wasn't sincere- as though she was just kissed for the first time by her enemy in order to shut her up…wait a minute, knowing Akashi, that has to be the reason! _"To think that I was kissed in order to be silenced…it's not fair…"_ Kuroko thought as tears began to stream down her face.

Upon seeing Kuroko crying, Akashi abruptly broke the kiss. It lasted for about 6 seconds, Akashi figured. Shaking his head slightly, he asked, "What's wrong, Tetsuki?"

He was surprised, again, when Kuroko aimed to punch him- and missed.

"H-how dare you! My…m-my first…kiss," Kuroko whispered the last part.

"REALLY?! YOUR FIRST?! This is terrific! Although I have always been watching you, I wasn't sure whether or not you've had any relationships and…" Akashi blushed again when his mind caught up with his mouth. _"Crap! I hadn't meant to say that or ever let her know about it!"_ Akashi inwardly cursed his absentmindedness.

Meanwhile, Kurokos' blush had faded and her tears had stopped, her eyes deciding to widen out once more. "You've…been watching me?" she asked, not really believing what she had heard.

Deciding that it was better to reveal everything than to just keep wallowing in misery, Akashi said, "Yes- I have been watching you for years. Ever since we first met, although it seems that you have lost a part of your memory…Either way, I don't know what it is, but I feel as though I never want to let you go. I'm sorry for your first kiss- well, not really sorry about it, more about the reason."

"So you did kiss me to silence me?" Kuroko inquired, confused.

"Originally, yes. But not because I found you annoying or anything! It's just that, I value your skills as a captain! I regard them with the utmost respect that I have. So, when you were implying that I viewed you as inferior…" Akashi trailed off.

"You…do you view me as an equal?" Kuroko asked.

Thinking for a quick second before replying, Akashi nodded. "Yes, yes I do. I think that you are very skilled- as a captain and as an individual. Although I can't really pinpoint what it is I'm feeling, I feel as though you and I belong together. So…do you want another kiss?" Akashi questioned, a light blush settling on his cheeks.

Kurokos' blush came back full force, for many reasons. _"So, he views me, of all people, as an equal…it…kind of sounds like he __**likes **__me…I guess, I don't __**hate**__ him…but whether or not I like him…No, I __**DO**__ like him. For one of many reasons, it's because he is a good captain. Another is…his eyes. They seem to capture me no matter what. Huh? Kiss? Again?...Sure, why not?"_ Kuroko thought.

Nodding her head, Akashi knelt down next to her on the floor- she had slumped down after he'd broken the first kiss. Cupping her left cheek with his right hand, Akashi watched as Kuroko closed her eyes slowly, closing his as his lips met hers for the _second_ time. But, it felt so much better than the first! Pushing his lips closer a bit, he was pleased when Kuroko pushed back.

"_Ah, so this is what a kiss is like…but I wonder just why I enjoy kissing her…maybe, I like her?"_ Akashi pondered even as they continued kissing.

Their second kiss was interrupted when a knock sounded on the wooden door. They quickly, albeit reluctantly, pulled apart, gasping a bit from the long kiss. Akashi couldn't help the smirk that rested on his lips- Kuroko had a beautiful shade of red on her face and she was out of breath, her eyes closed.

After he called out to the person that had been knocking, he looked towards Kuroko, gently grabbed her chin so that she'd looked up at him and whispered to her, "I think that I like you, Tetsuki. In a romantic way, of course."

Then he stole her lips for the third time that day, for the third time since they'd met, for the third time since he'd fallen in love with her.

She kissed back, though she had a shy look on her face before she replied, "I think I like you too, Akashi-san. In a romantic way, of course."

First kiss: 6 seconds. Short and confusing.

Second kiss: 2 minutes. Long and mutual.

Third kiss: 10 seconds. Short and filled with budding feelings.

…

.GOODNESS! (./.) I really wasn't expecting to have them kiss…but, since they did… :3 I hope you enjoyed the fluffiness I put in here! It was unexpected but much welcomed as I'm sure you'll agree! **Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks to those who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfiction of mine! I hope that you'll continue to be able to enjoy it!  
Also, SORRY FOR THE EXTRA LONG DELAY! Please give my one-shot 'The Doctor and His Nurse' as well as my new story 'Blind but Bold' a read and leave a review to tell me what you think!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Kuroko no Basuke.**

Chapter 15: After the Kiss

Aida was the one who had knocked on the captains door, unintentionally breaking up Akashi and Kuroko's second kiss. Though when she listened closely she could hear her captain panting.

"_Wait, why is Akashi in there again? Oh right! Captain wanted to talk to him for a bit…about what though? Oh well…wait…why is captain breathing irregularly? What is Akashi saying?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO OUR PURE KUROKO-CHAN?!"_

Knocking once on the door, she shivered when she heard Akashi say, "Leave us alone if you wish to live, Aida Riko-san. We'll be out shortly."

Aida could've sworn that Akashi was smirking as he said that. Grumbling but wanting to keep her life, she decided to leave, but not without a plan in mind. _"As soon as he comes up on the deck- no, before he can even reach the deck- our crew will ambush him and then-,"_ Her train of thought stopped as she felt a shiver go up and down her spine.

"_Indeed, Akashi Seijuro is a frightening person…he is not one to be messed with…"_

* * *

After Kuroko and Akashi broke apart their lips for the third time that day, they left Kuroko's room to go to the deck. After all, the crewmates can't decide where to go without their captain. Just before they reached the stairs to go up, Kuroko hugged Akashi from behind. A little surprised at the sudden show of affection, Akashi could only place his hands on top of Kuroko's. Then he got an idea and spun her around so that they'd face each other.

Not expecting to be pulled forward suddenly, Kuroko tripped over her own two feet, expecting herself to fall. Akashi was quick to embrace her though. Feeling her face heat up, Kuroko couldn't face Akashi- she could only bury her head in his chest, sneakily inhaling his scent as well.

Akashi, feeling his face heat up at the audible sound of Kuroko sniffing him, decided that he wouldn't be the only embarrassed one. Nope. So the most logical answer was to sniff her back, right?

EH! WRONG! Especially when her crewmates are coming down the stairs! Swiftly picking her up, he ran back to her room, opened and locked the door before closing it- with Kuroko still in his arms.

Sighing in relief- wait, relief? He had absolutely nothing to fear! In fact, everything and everyone feared _him_! Well, except Tetsuki. Tetsuki? Where is she…gyah! I'm still holding her…and princess style nonetheless!

Seeing the usually composed Akashi Seijuro as red as his hair, with steam coming from his ears, Kuroko felt her body move on its own. Without even realizing it, she had pulled Akashi's face closer to her own and…kissed him! It was a light yet loving kiss.

Akashi was left speechless. _"My Tetsuki…kissed me…on her own…aww, she's blushing. I…really do like her, don't I? Maybe even…love. Well, I'll deal with it when I get there! For now, I need to respond to her affection!"_

With that thought in mind, Akashi kissed Kuroko back, but with a bit more force than she had exerted. _"Ah…if I don't love her, I wouldn't do this with her…so that's it…"_

"I love you, Tetsuki," Akashi stated.

Feeling her freeze up in his grasp, he quickly carried her over to her bed, settling her down but unable to get back up. She was hugging him- tightly at that. _"Hm? What's that sound?...Is she crying? Why?! What did I do?! Did she not want me to say that?!"_

"…e too…Me too, Akashi-kun! I love you! I don't know how or why, but I love you!" Kuroko blurted out while sniffling.

Not really knowing what to do, Akashi did the only thing that he thought would bring her even a bit of comfort- not that she needed any, but maybe she'd stop crying. Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, he hugged her to his body, sharing some of his body warmth that she had snuggled up to back when she was first injured.

Feeling her own tears stop immediately, Kuroko hugged Akashi back- fiercer than he had though. _"I love you. I love you. I love you! I LOVE YOU!"_

"I LOVE YOU, SEIJURO!" Kuroko shouted.

"_Did she just call me by my name? Finally! I want to kiss her again…I will!"_ Akashi thought.

Backing up from her a bit, Akashi took Kuroko's chin in his hand and pressed a light and quick kiss to her pink, soft and warm lips. Pulling back from the short-lived kiss slowly, Akashi quickly kissed her again, enjoying the way their lips melded together. Putting her arms around his neck, Kuroko allowed for their bodies to be as close as possible. Pulling back every other minute to take in a quick breather, they would immediately join their lips together once more, pushing on each other's lips' harder than before.

Not getting enough oxygen in, Kuroko tried to open her mouth. This resulted in Akashi trying something new. Wondering what Kuroko would do, he gently nibbled on her bottom lip, eliciting a soft, whimpering moan from her. Of course, he would never go any farther than this- he wanted to save everything for their honeymoon. Yes, their honeymoon was already decided upon- ever since they both said 'I love you', that is.

Deciding that it would be better to let her rest, Akashi pulled back.

"Tetsuki, get some rest. I know that you're feeling just fine, but get some more rest, okay?"

Only able to nod her head, Kuroko- rather quickly- fell into a deep slumber. Admiring her serene sleeping form, Akashi tucked Kuroko into her bed after removing her shoes. Getting up, he pressed one last kiss to her forehead, whispering something into her ear so that only she'd ever hear it.

"I love you, Tetsuki. Sleep well."

And with that, he made his way back to the top deck.

…..

As you may have noticed, I changed the rating on this…mainly cause of their kiss scenes. ./. I hope that it wasn't a big disappointment or anything- this chapter that is. Also, sorry for its shortness! I haven't written for this story for quite a while, but I didn't want to leave it alone! Please tell me what you thought of it and **Please review!**


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